Dana Holgorsen Leading Houston Football Program Towards Big 12 Conference

Dana Holgorsen has guided Houston into the Big 12 conference, just as he did with West Virginia. Holgorsen was the head coach for both schools during their transitions. Houston was invited to join the Big 12 in September 2021, allowing them more lead time than West Virginia had when it joined in 2012. According to Holgorsen, Houston’s transition has been easier because the Cougars have played series with OU, Kansas, and Texas Tech in the past few years, and they have been in the American Conference with schools like Central Florida and Cincinnati. Additionally, Houston has had more ramp-up time to get ready for the rise in competition. However, significant upgrades like facility and budget increases will take time. Holgorsen says that nobody knows how much of a learning curve the Cougars will have in Year 1 of Big 12 football. Despite low attendance numbers in the past, Houston is dreaming big. They have a new stadium, an indoor practice facility, and Holgorsen, a sitting Power Five head coach. The Cougars are located in a football hotbed and have name, image, and likeness potential and recruiting possibilities. They are hoping to turn UofH into a tailgating mecca and are preparing for the extra traffic, parking demands, and crowd control that will come with it. Houston has set a sales goal of 5,100 new season tickets and has already surpassed it. The Cougars’ waiting list for premium seats and suites has also grown since the announcement of the Big 12 schedule.