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Opinion

Cougar football needs students

Lee De Leon
Guest Commentary 

Unfortunately, our university has been having problems with a lack of student support at Cougar football games.

Students at the University of Houston can be just as supportive and passionate of their football team as any other Div. I-A program. The potential is definitely there. I know that because I witnessed it firsthand.

At the Grambling State and Oklahoma State University football games earlier this season at Robertson Stadium, the student turnout and energy rivaled some of the top football programs in the country. Almost 8,000 students were at the Grambling game, and almost 9,000 students were at the OSU game -- the two largest student turnouts in the history of Robertson Stadium. The student sections were just as packed, loud and full of passion at those two games as they are at any of the top 25 teams. There were as many students at those two games as there are every week at the games of football powerhouses like the University of Oklahoma and LSU.

My only question now is, where have all those students gone? People could see how much fun fans were having, and everyone -- including the coaches and team -- saw how huge of an impact fans had on the atmosphere and the outcome of the game. 

Where have the fans been the last three home games since then? Admission is free for students; you can bring up to four guests for only $5 each, and you can even get a free T-shirt. We have a great team and the No. 1 offense in Conference USA led by one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. You would think that after enjoying some outstanding college football action at the Grambling and OSU games, you would keep coming back for more.

But you haven't.

At the last three home games, student attendance has dropped dramatically. Only 1,700 students showed up for the Central Florida game Saturday -- and that was coming off a solid win over Texas-El Paso. We appreciate the loyal students who were in attendance, but I don't understand where all the other students were last Saturday.

That's enough about the past; let's do something about the future. The team is now 6-3 and playing Tulsa, the current leader in C-USA West, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in our Homecoming game. This is a battle for first place in the C-USA standings. A win would put the Cougars in the driver's seat for their first conference championship in 10 years. We need students at this game more than ever.

This is your chance to get back on the bandwagon, show pride in your university and help your Cougars win the biggest home conference game in the last decade. There's plenty of room, so jump back on and enjoy the ride.

De Leon, director of marketing for the UH Athletics Department, 
can be reached at ldeleon5@uh.edu