UH joins the Big 12 starting 2023

By: Armando Yanez

is now heading into its final collegiate year as a member of the American Athletic Conference with an arrival to the Big 12 Conference sitting on the horizon. With suspicion bubbling over after Texas and Oklahoma accepted invitations to move to the SEC starting in 2023, the level of excitement amongst the UH fanbase has ramped up after the confirmation of the Big 12 Conference realignment in September 2021.

“All of us were super excited, and it feels like its been a long time coming,” accounting junior Peter Miller said. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for UH to get put into a Power Five conference for some time now. UH has been one of the better Group of Five teams over the last decade, so we’re all pretty excited.”

The inclusions of UH, UCF, Cincinnati and BYU create for a more competitive mix across all sports within the new and improved Big 12 Conference. Big name schools such as Baylor, Kansas, Texas Tech, West Virginia along with current AAC programs UCF and Cincinnati will all be making trips to compete against UH on campus and around events nationwide starting in 2023.

“I think the biggest thing is the more publicity that is coming to UH,” Miller said. “Especially in the sports world, I think that we’ll get a bigger spotlight, we’re going to get more fans, and you know, getting the big schools to come play in Houston is what I’m looking forward to most.”

The recent success for UH athletics boosted the University’s name up the board of candidates for replacement programs in the Big 12 Conference.

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The UH men’s basketball team has made four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament including two consecutive Elite Eight appearances and a Final Four appearance in 2021. The UH football team won 12 games, advanced to the AAC Championship game and won the Birmingham Bowl over Auburn. Yearly successes and rising programs across several other sports including UH track and field, swim, golf, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball will now have the opportunity to compete against Power Five competition, which over time, will boost the quality of all athletic programs.

“I think it’s all of it, you know,” Miller said.

“Five years ago, we weren’t really anything in basketball. In football we were struggling for a while after Gred Ward Jr. left, so these last five years have been super crucial. The Final Four, four straight NCAA Tournaments, you look at our football this year going 12-2 and making the conference title game. It’s a big part of it because you look at the other schools that are going to the Big 12, they all have recent success in sports as well. I think if we didn’t have the success that we have had in the past few years, we might not have been picked.”

The Group of Five standard is long gone for UH, as the Power Five will be a whole new challenge to the University’s athletic programs. The list goes on for what awaits UH in the Big 12 Conference, from more national presence, high-level games, high-profile opponents, recruits, money and the list goes on. The excitement is as present as it is going to be until the move officially begins in 2023.

Until then, the UH faithful will have to continue waiting until the time comes.

“It’s going to be huge,” Miller said. “I know that they’re probably going to get a lot more money to be able to spend. Along with that, it’s going to bring in more fans. I expect more hype around the athletics around here in Houston. Overall, I think that going to the Big 12 is going to help us be competitive but also just the overall aspect of the sports here at the University.”

By: Anna Baker