Twenty-five years ago, the University of Houston football team was preparing to play the University of Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl game on New Year’s Day. Houston won that entertaining game 17-14 on a last minute touchdown pass.
Thus, UH Athletic Director Dave Maggard‘s idea of scheduling a game between Houston and Nebraska at Houston’s Reliant Stadium to open the 2005 football season seemed like a good one. That is, until Nebraska pulled out of the game yesterday in order to schedule a home opener against that traditional college football powerhouse, Maine. Mr. Maggard is not pleased, as the Chronicle reports:
“This is the most unprofessional thing I’ve dealt with in my 30 years in this business. I’m very, very surprised by all this. This is something that doesn’t belong in Division I athletics. I’m very, very angry about this.”
“This is absolutely unprofessional in every way.” It’s gutless. Spineless. They’re going to have to live with it. I’ve lost a tremendous amount of respect for that program. I think that for college athletics, it’s shameful.”
“We’re going to figure out a solution, but they are developing a reputation for hanging people out to dry. I think it’s a sad commentary on the people running that athletic program.”
On the heels of this earlier incident involving a Nebraska football player, this latest development makes one wonder just how low the University of Nebraska football program must fall before it bottoms out?
UHouston may want to be careful in how loudly it complains. Afterall, it was Houston that left the Huskers high and dry in 1998 and 1999 by backing out on a contractually signed home and home series with Nebraska . Nebraska subsequently had to scramble to fill the slots that Houston vacated, eventually signing Cal as a replacement.
This round of Houston-Husker negotiations was in a far less complete state (no signed contract, further negotiations expected) when Nebraska stopped negotiations. Perhaps Mr. Maggard should look to his own school for evidence of similar, unprofessional dealing.
H’mm, let’s see here. In 1998-99, Nebraska was competing for the national championship in football while Houston was attempting to achieve mediocrity toward the end of the Kim Helton era. Those games would have been monumental mismatches.
In 2005, Nebraska will be attempting to rebuild from one of its worst seasons in modern history and Houston is attempting to recover from a generally horrid season. Thus, a 2005 matchup between the programs would likely be a competitive affair. Plus, Nebraska could use the exposure in Texas to rekindle its Texas recruiting pipelines.
Sounds to me as if a 2005 game makes a lot more sense than the 1998-99 games.