HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
There's no way around it, overcoming this obstacle is still a big concern for Houston
Sep 6, 2022, 12:17 pm
Joining the Big 12 doesn't guarantee a spike in ticket sales. Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Last week Texas Monthly ran an interesting and perplexing article: Can (University of) Houston Football Figure Out a Way to Fill Seats?
The article was written by my friend and former radio partner Richard Justice. But let’s not hold that against the article. Richie did a terrific job here.
Justice offers many reasons why the Cougars, despite recent on-field success, well paid and respected coaching staff, generous funding, excellent facilities, Top 25 ranking, and bowl game appearances, have trouble packing their comparatively small 40,000-capacity TDECU Stadium.
Most times, UH crowds are around 25,000. The last time they drew 30,000 fans was in 2018. Last time UH played in front of 40,000 fans at home was in 2016.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas and Texas A&M routinely draw crowds in excess of 100,000 fans. Of course, the main reason for UH’s drawing woes is because the Coogs play in the American Athletic Conference, a non-Power 5 conference. So big name, ticket-selling opponents, whose fan base travels to road games, rarely visit TDECU Stadium. UH’s football schedule is dominated by conference rivals like East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa and others.
UT will host No. 1 Alabama this Saturday. Good luck finding a ticket for 100,000 capacity-plus Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Other teams on UT’s schedule include No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 8 Oklahoma State, and No. 9 Baylor.
No. 6 Texas A&M will play No. 16 Miami, No. 15 Florida, No. 18 Arkansas, No. 1 Alabama, No. 22 Mississippi, plus traditional bowl-bound LSU and Auburn.
There isn’t a single Top 25 team on UH’s remaining schedule.
Next year, UH is moving to the Big 12 Conference which should boost interest and attendance for the Cougars. However, the Big 12’s most glamorous members, UT and Oklahoma, are following Texas A&M’s exodus to the mighty Southeastern Conference.
Justice points out that UH is largely a commuter school. Only 8,000 students of its 40,000 enrollment live on campus.
I’d like to add two more reasons why UH football doesn’t draw huge crowds that its players and coaches deserve. And there’s nothing that UH can do to fix these reasons.
UH plays in a city where there’s an NFL team. And UH plays in a city where fall is the prettiest season of the year.
College teams that play in NFL cities typically have trouble drawing fans. It’s just the way it is. Here’s a headline from last week’s college football roundup: “USC Embarrassingly Couldn’t Fill Stadium During Debut of Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams.”
If USC, playing in a Power 5 conference, in America’s second-largest city, with a new celebrity head coach and Heisman candidate quarterback, had huge sections empty at its first game this season, what hope does UH have selling out its home opener against Kansas on Sept. 17?
While there are a few college teams that thrive in NFL cities, the majority of powerhouse college teams play in non-major markets, where the colleges have their city and local headlines to themselves.
This was the preseason college Top 10 for 2022: Alabama (Tuscaloosa), Ohio State (Columbus), Georgia (Athens), Clemson (Clemson), Notre Dame (South Bend), Texas A&M (College Station), Utah (Salt Lake City), Michigan (Ann Arbor), Oklahoma (Norman) and Baylor (Waco).
Let’s look at the biggest college football stadiums: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, capacity 107,601), Beaver Stadium (State College, 106,572), Ohio Stadium (Columbus, 104,944), Kyle Field (College Station, 102,733), Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, 102,455), Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, 102,421), Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, 101,821), Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, 100,119), Sanford Stadium (Athens, 92,746), Rose Bowl (Pasadena, 90,888).
They’re all miles and worlds apart from the big city lights of the NFL.
Let’s not forget that Houston (the city) has a lot more to offer than football on Saturdays. Fall is perhaps the nicest, most outdoorsy season in Houston. We have 57 golf courses, boating, swimming, tennis, outdoor dining, Washington Avenue and festivals.
Or you can buy a ticket to watch Temple, a commuter college in downtown Philadelphia, where the NFL Eagles own the city, play UH at TDECU Stadium on Nov. 12.
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The 2025 season hasn't gone according to script for the Houston Astros. Injuries, slumps, and a retooled roster have left fans asking whether this version of the Astros is underwhelming—or if, given all the turmoil, they might actually be overachieving.
When Houston dealt Kyle Tucker, a franchise cornerstone, the move raised eyebrows. Tucker was a consistent producer and an anchor in right field. In return, the Astros received infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and third baseman now outfielder Cam Smith—players who didn’t bring the same star power but offered versatility and upside.
Paredes has delivered as advertised. He’s brought steady production at the plate and the ability to play a solid third base. While he may not be with the team beyond 2027 if the front office sticks to its recent pattern of letting players walk in free agency, his presence right now is stabilizing an otherwise inconsistent lineup.
Then there’s Cam Smith, who might be the real key to this deal. After a slow start and questions about whether he or Zach Dezenzo was the better option in right field, Smith has surged. Over the past 30 days, he’s hit north of .300 and shown signs of becoming a long-term fixture. The biggest question now is positional: Is he Houston’s future in right field, or could he eventually slide over to third base if/when Paredes departs? That decision will ripple through future roster planning and could define how this trade is remembered.
In the meantime, however, he’s shown flashes of being a quality everyday player. But it’s not uncommon for young hitters to take a step back after an initial surge. The Astros need him to keep proving it, but the potential is unmistakable.
Underwhelming or overachieving?
Elsewhere on the roster, the results are mixed. Players like Jake Meyers and Victor Caratini, who came into the season with modest expectations, have performed admirably. Meanwhile, stars like José Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Díaz have underperformed, leaving the offensive output uneven. Add in the extended absence of Yordan Álvarez and the loss of three-fifths of the starting rotation, and it's fair to say Houston has had more than its share of adversity.
King of the hill
One area where the Astros have arguably found a diamond in the rough is Bryan King. With a 1.52 ERA in 2025, King has passed the eye test as a potential long-term solution in high-leverage relief situations. He’s been more than capable, building on a solid 2.39 ERA in 2024. His performance has solidified his place in the bullpen, and he’s taken on ownership of his role. However, it’s important for the Astros to temper expectations, especially after the lessons learned from the Rafael Montero signing. King looks like the real deal, but he still has a ways to go before being considered a true elite option out of the 'pen.
What should we make of the Alex Bregman quad injury?
Bregman’s injury doesn’t really change the conversation around whether the Astros should have extended him. If anything, it highlights the complexity of roster decisions. Houston could’ve kept Bregman, shifted Paredes to first base, and potentially avoided spending big on Christian Walker. But injuries are part of the game—Yordan Álvarez has missed nearly half the season, and no one’s suggesting the Astros should regret signing him. Kyle Tucker missed significant time last year, too, and he’s about to land a massive contract. Players get hurt. That’s baseball.
Moving forward
While the Astros have struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances, they have managed to remain competitive—perhaps even overachieving given the circumstances. The team's depth, the surprising performances from certain players, and the emergence of promising new talent have allowed them to hold their ground, currently possessing a Wild Card spot in the AL if the season were to end today.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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