The University of Houston
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Location: Houston, Texas
Enrollment: 39,825
Established: 1927
Mascot: Cougars
Colors: Scarlet Red & Albino White
Sponsored Sports
Men: Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Cross Country, Track & Field
Women: Basketball, Softball, Soccer, Cross Country, Track & Field, Tennis, Swimming & Diving, Volleyball
Notable Athletic Accomplishments
- Six bowl games in the past seven years
- 21 bowl appearances and 10 conference championships in football
- 22 Olympic athletes have attended Houston, and have combined to win 39 medals (20 gold)
- Five Final Four appearances and 19 NCAA tournament appearances in men’s basketball
- Two College World Series appearances in baseball
- 16 NCAA men’s golf championships
- 105 conference championships (regular-season and tournament) in 14 sports
- 5 national players of the year
- 893 all-Americans in 14 sports
Traditions
The Cougar Paw
In the tradition of Texas college football programs, the University of Houston adopted the Cougar Paw hand signal during its rivalry with the University of Texas (and its ubiquitous “Hook ‘Em Horns” hand signal. During transport to a 1953 Houston-Texas game, Houston’s mascot, Shasta, suffered a severed finger on her paw. During the game, Texas players heckled the Cougar fans by bending their thumb over the ring finger against their palm to mimic the wounded animal. This gave birth to the birth of the signal by UH fans during the teams’ 1968 matchup (a 20-20 tie). In 1976, the Cougars crushed Texas 30-0 to end a long Texas winning streak and the hand signal was cemented as tradition.
Shasta & Sasha
Ever since the University’s founding in 1927, the University of Houston’s mascot has been a Cougar. The cougar was named Shasta in a fraternity “name the mascot” competition and the first live mascot was purchased in 1947. Shasta I, II, III, IV and V were live mascots until the tradition ended in 1989. Today Shasta, a costumed mascot is joined by a second mascot, Sasha.
School Colors
Houston’s official colors are Scarlet Red and Albino White. The colors were from an ancestor of Sam Houston (prominent figure in Texas History, namesake of the City of Houston). The Scarlet Red symbolizes courage and perseverance. The Albino White symbolizes the purity and perfections of a heard, mind and soul that is dedicated to serve faithfully.
Notable Alumni
Fred Couples – professional golfer
Clyde Drexler – basketball Hall of Fame member
Elvin Hayes – basketball Hall of Fame member
Tom Landry – legendary football coach
Carl Lewis – track and field legend
Hakeem Olajuwon – basketball Hall of Fame member
Dennis Quaid – actor
Jack Valenti – former president, Motion Picture Association of America
Andre Ware – Heisman Trophy winner
