The fans stopped selling out home games and there can't be any doubt that effect's Herman's view of the program and where it stands. Before Donny jumps on me again about this issue, I said many times that I thought the UH program had momentum and we would wait and see how that translated into attendance this year. All I'm doing is pointing out that they didn't sell out two home games this year and they don't have a large stadium. You can take that for what it is worth It sucks what the big 12 did to all of the "potential expansion candidates" but that was all OU and David Boren. UT had to come out and pick favorites and they endorsed UH as the team to add if they were going to add teams. You can still enjoy UT being stiffed by Herman but UT isn't the source of all of your problems. I totally agree the UT job is not as glamorous as the fans think it is. Did you mean to say 6-7 million at UH? I thought they were a little cash strapped at the moment. That's a great point about USC but it's looking less likely that he could get there soon. He's a young guy and has all the time in the world to hop around.
Between the two biggest supporters of the UH football program, they are worth almost 4.5 billion dollars. TF is extremely close with Renu and the two of them are running the ship. Duerte does whatever TF wants. TF is head of the regents. It doesn't run in the same way that it does at UT. Power is concentrated at the top with a few people. TF yesterday told Mark Berman that he will pay any amount to keep Herman. UH planned on paying Herman OVER 3 million last year and TF was impressed with and shocked Herman didn't make a counter offer and accepted the initial offer. UH football has money as long as TF and Duerte say they have money. Their fortunes are enormous. TF is about as imnvolved as possible. Herman has said he has no desire to hop around from program to program as a head coach. If he leaves UH it is likely his last stop unless he is fired. USC had there shot and did not pursue him to the degree he hoped.
Here is the UH Finance Committee Report and Budget. It was interesting to look at the big picture and poke around. UH FY 2016 Report I know a lot of funding is restricted, but I just find it hard to believe that raking in 1523M in revenue annually and 270M (18%) dedicated for admin, that finding an additional 3M in salary and benefits that could potentially pay itself back anyway is so hard for them to do. It has never made any sense to me. But hey, if a booster can get it done then I'm in. But should it really take Booster? I don't think so.
It's as weird situation in terms of attendance. All home games are free to students, and I think we generally sell out those tickets. At the Louisville game, they were not letting students in the game because security said it was too full. Then by half time, students waiting were eventually let in. So this game was sold out right? But the corners were empty...so those tickets are no shows? I just don't know what to make of it. It's definitely not like A&M when I was an undergrad back in the day. Every student has to buy a $300 sports pass and then you pull tickets...it was a whole rigmarole and yet we got 30K+ students going to every game. I go pretty early to UH games (grad student here) and pretty much get field seats, and I don't have to buy a sports pass. That's pretty cool. And that was an impossibility at A&M (and I'm assuming at other football schools). We definitely need to expand the student section at UH, but there must be legitimate reasons why they don't do that. I don't think we'll ever be on the level of a true football school, but it could definitely show better if the seating were changed so that students could sit in half they stadium like they do at other places, instead of being relegated to the endzone and a small section on the sideline up to the 20.
Competition matters. Think UH will show out for Tech, Baylor or TCU? It's easy to point and say look at Cincinnati and UH can't fill their stadiums but who they play matters a ton. UH doesn't get a Red River Rivalry every year like UT does or a showdown with Alabama and LSU like the Aggies do. I wish CFP had a relegation system that would punish programs like Kansas and Rutgers that show up, take a paycheck and go home.
I don't know the answer to this because I agree that the situations are different. That being said, I find it pretty impressive that A&M students pay $300 for football tickets and sell out their 30,000+ allotment every year. And this was the case (or pretty close to it) in the crap years too...believe me, there were a lot of crap years pre-Manziel and post Dat Nguyen era. At UH, the football games are free! We have over 40,000 students. I know that's not the close to 60,000 that A&M and UT have, but that's still a lot. The students deserve more than 5,000 tickets in their section...but if we were given 20,000 would the student section be full? I just don't think it's likely, but it can't be proven until given the chance.
Reported first by Chip Brown, which is why this is so hard to believe... http://www.scout.com/college/texas/story/1731706-sources-lsu-closing-in-on-herman
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...y-close-deal-houston-cougars-coach-tom-herman LSU has zeroed in on Houston's Tom Herman as the Tigers' next head coach and could have a deal in place as early as Saturday, sources told ESPN. USA Today Sports reported that Herman met with LSU officials in Houston Thursday afternoon. Florida State's Jimbo Fisher was also near the top of LSU's wish list, but Fisher opted to stay put before talks with LSU got too far down the road. He has told some close to him that he thinks he could have some of his most talented teams at FSU over the next two years. There were reports this week that Fisher had been offered the LSU job, and when Fisher was asked Wednesday on his call-in radio show if he would be back at FSU next season, he said, "Listen, I love it here. I really do. So just be patient. we're good." Herman, in his second season as Houston's coach, was also thought to be a top candidate at Texas if the Longhorns fire Charlie Strong. Herman's Cougars plays their final regular-season game on Friday against Memphis, while LSU is playing its final regular-season game tonight against Texas A&M. Texas president Gregory Fenves' preference has been to keep Strong, sources told ESPN's Mark Schlabach, and the odds of Strong returning for a fourth season are expected to increase dramatically if Herman is no longer available. The Longhorns need to beat TCU on Friday to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible.
If this is the case, no one at UH believes it from what I am being told. Doesn't mean it isn't true by they aren't buying it.
"LSU has zeroed in on Houston's Tom Herman as the Tigers' next head coach and could have a deal in place as early as Saturday, sources told ESPN." Translation: UT plays on Friday. Let me leak that LSU has offered a deal (which they likely have) and see if UT counters after their game, so I can decide on Saturday.
