UH benefits from Texas
showdown
By Andrew Fritsch
The Daily Cougar
For anyone who still holds the classic
idea of stereotypical Texas dear, it's a dream come true — Texans and Cowboys
facing off in
the middle of a large metropolis in full
view of thousands of people.
Pin Lim/The Daily Cougar
Robertson Stadium will give
Houston fans its first taste of Texans football when the city's new NFL
franchise holds a scrimmage
against the Dallas Cowboys at UH on Aug.
2.
Except this time it's a football game
featuring the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys at 7 p.m. Aug. 2 at UH's
Robertson Stadium
instead of a shootout at the OK Corral.
"It's just kind of a run through," Senior
Associate Athletics Director Larry Leckonby said. "It's not going to be
a wide-open, kick-ass
game."
The scrimmage will probably consist of
the two teams starting with the ball on the 20-yard line and trying to
score a touchdown or
punting, Leckonby said. Unlike a normal
practice, the teams will get a sense of real competition, Leckonby said.
But Leckonby said that, regardless of what
the competition is like, having Robertson Stadium connected to the Texans
will mean
good publicity for the University.
"It might be kids and families or it might
be stereotypical football fans," Leckonby said. "If it's kids, it's good
because, if they have
aspirations of going to a university,
they have exposure to UH already. They can see it's a nice place, and their
first impression will be
a good impression."
This scrimmage will be the second time
Houston and Dallas professional football teams have squared off at UH.
The first was a
20-17 double-overtime victory by the Dallas
Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) over the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee
Titans) in the 1962 AFL Championship game
at then-Jeppessen Stadium.
"The regular football fan will see that
Robertson Stadium isn't a dump like Jeppesson Stadium was," Leckonby said.
Tickets for the event have been on sale
since June 8 and are available via Ticketmaster for $10, $15 and $20. Students
will not
receive discount pricing, said Randy Eton,
associate athletic director for facilities, operations and special events.
UH received an allotment of tickets that
will be offered to season ticket holders first and then to faculty, students
and staff, Eton said.
Eton said the Texans pursued UH for renting
Robertson Stadium because it is the only local natural surface — grass
— stadium that
has seating capacity to accommodate the
event.
"The Texans aren't taking anything out
of Houston," Eton said. "They could have gone to College Station or somewhere
like that, but
it's a Houston team."
Proceeds from the event will benefit Juvenile
Diabetes, Salvation Army Boys and Girls clubs and Houston Texans foundation.
The Texans will pay a percentage of ticket
sales and any expenses incurred — security, cleaning, etc. — during the
event to use
Robertson Stadium, Leckonby said.
"If we can get 15 to 20 thousand people
at the game, 50 to 75 percent of whom haven't seen the stadium, that'll
be a great day,"
Leckonby said. "The best case is if somebody
from the Texans says it's a nice stadium."
