The "Cougar Fight Song" is the official college fight song of the University of Houston (UH). It was written by Marion Ford with lyrics by Forest Fountain, both UH students. It is typically performed by the Spirit of Houston. [1]
The "Cougar Fight Song" was popularized by Ed Gerlach, a UH music professor, and his orchestra in the 1950s. In 2002, Norm Maves, Jr. of The Oregonian named the song as the 7th best college fight song in America. [2]
Cougars fight for dear old U of H
For our Alma Mater cheer.
Fight for Houston University
For victory is near.
When the going gets so rough and tough
We never worry cause we got the stuff.
So fight, fight, fight for red and white
And we will go to victory. [3]
The University of Houston is a public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in the first decades of the 20th century. In 1934, HJC was restructured as a four-year degree-granting institution and renamed University of Houston. In 1977, it became the founding member of the University of Houston System. Today, Houston is the fourth-largest university in Texas, awarding 11,156 degrees in 2023. As of 2024, it has a worldwide alumni base of 331,672.
The Cougar is a weekly newspaper run entirely by students at the University of Houston.
The Fertitta Center, formerly known as Hofheinz Pavilion, is a 7,100-seat multi-purpose arena on the University of Houston campus in Houston. Located at 3875 Holman Street, it is home to the Houston Cougars men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. The arena opened in 1967 as Hofheinz Pavilion, named after Roy Hofheinz and his late wife, Irene Cafcalas "Dene" Hofheinz, after they donated $1.5 million to help fund construction. Roy Hofheinz, known as Judge Hofheinz, was a UH alumnus and a Houston politician, businessman, and philanthropist. The arena is now named after restaurant magnate, Houston Rockets owner and UH alum Tilman Fertitta, who donated $20 million toward the complete renovation of the arena in 2016. The court is named for Hall of Fame and former Cougars coach Guy V. Lewis. Like many arenas of its kind, the seating bowl of Fertitta Center is dug into the ground so that one enters the building at the top of the bowl.
The Houston Cougars are the athletic teams representing the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was suggested by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football coach, John R. Bender after one of his former teams, Washington State later adopted the mascot and nickname. The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the Big 12 Conference.
Guy Vernon Lewis II was an American basketball player and coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Houston from 1956 to 1986. Lewis led his Houston Cougars to five appearances in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, in 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, and 1984. His 1980s teams, nicknamed Phi Slama Jama for their slam dunks, were runners-up for the national championship in back-to-back seasons in 1983 and 1984. He was inducted into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Health and Physical Education Arena is an 8,100-seat multi-purpose arena in Houston, Texas on the campus of Texas Southern University.
"Go, Vandals, Go" is the official fight song of the University of Idaho in Moscow.
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. They compete as members of the Big 12 Conference. In addition to 25 NCAA tournament appearances, the Cougars have won 20 conference championships and have had several players and a coach elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH." The UH football program is a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since the 2014 season, the Cougars have played their home games on campus at TDECU Stadium, which was built on the site formerly occupied by Robertson Stadium, where they played home games from 1941 to 1950 and from 1994 to 2012. Over the history of the program, the Cougars have won 11 conference championships and have had several players elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, including a Heisman Trophy winner.
Shasta is the mascot of the University of Houston athletics teams, the Houston Cougars. The name "Shasta" refers to both a live and an anthropomorphic costumed cougar mascot.
Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park is a baseball park in Houston, Texas. It is the home field of the Houston Cougars baseball team. Several iterations of the ballpark have existed. The current stadium holds 5,000 people, and opened for baseball in 1995. With a 1,500 square foot Daktronics video board, Schroeder Park features the second-largest scoreboard in college baseball. Since its opening, Schroeder Park has hosted several notable college baseball events. In February 2016, the University of Houston announced that, as a response to a large donation to the baseball program, Cougar Field would be renamed Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park.
The Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership is a college at the University of Houston, a public research university in Houston, Texas, focused on hospitality. It is one of 13 academic colleges at the university that offers business degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The Houston–Rice rivalry is a crosstown college rivalry between the Houston Cougars of the University of Houston and Rice Owls of Rice University. The universities are located approximately five miles from one another. It is one of the few NCAA Division I crosstown rivalries, especially between institutions that field Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
The Spirit of Houston encompasses the Cougar Marching Band and various Spirit groups at the University of Houston, including the UH Cheer teams, the Cougar Dolls Dance Team, the UH Feature Twirlers, the Mascots, and the Cougar Brass. The Spirit of Houston operates under the leadership of Cameron Kubos, who serves as the Director of Athletic Bands and Spirit Groups.
John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium is an American football stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. The stadium serves as the home of the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston in collegiate football and the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL. In September 2024, it was announced that the stadium would be renamed to Space City Financial Stadium beginning with the 2025 season.
The Houston–Tulsa football rivalry is a college football rivalry game between the University of Houston Cougars and the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
The Houston Cougars football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Houston Cougars football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Cougars represent the University of Houston in the NCAA Division I FBS Big 12 Conference.
The Houston–SMU rivalry is a college rivalry between the University of Houston Cougars and Southern Methodist University Mustangs. When Houston joined the Southwest Conference in 1972, the two schools were conference mates until the conference dissolved in 1996. After a brief hiatus, SMU would join Conference USA in 2005 and the rivalry would continue when both schools moved to the American Athletic Conference in 2013 during the midst of 2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment, where it intesified as they were they only two schools from Texas in the conference. Later, with Houston's move to the Big 12 Conference as a result of 2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment, the future of the rivalry was put in doubt.
The Houston–Texas Tech football rivalry is a college football rivalry between the University of Houston Cougars and the Texas Tech University Red Raiders. The rivalry dates back to 1951.