July 30, 2014
New Season Ticket Deposits
HOUSTON - University of Houston Men's Basketball legend Otis Birdsong was announced Wednesday evening as one of nine new members for the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
Birdsong lettered for the Cougars under Hall of Fame Coach Guy V. Lewis from 1973-77, scoring more than 2,800 points. He continues to rank second in school history with his scoring total.
The Winter Haven, Fla., native was the first freshman in school history to start for the Cougars after the NCAA ruled freshmen eligible to play and finished the 1973-74 season as the team's third-leading scorer.
He ranked 15th nationally with 24.6 points per game as a sophomore in 1974-75, shooting a remarkable 58.3 percent from the field. He also became the first sophomore in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
As a junior, he led the Southwest Conference and ranked eighth nationally with 26.1 points per game. In 1976-77, Birdsong was honored as the SWC Player of the Year after averaging 30.3 points per game to stand fourth nationally. He was the only player in SWC history to average more than 30 points per game and was recognized as the SWC Player of the Decade for the 1970s.
Following his Houston days, Birdsong continued to excel at the professional level. He was the second player taken in the 1977 NBA Draft by the Kansas City Kings and finished his 12-year NBA career with Kansas City, New Jersey and Boston with more than 12,500 points.
Birdsong was an All-NBA Second-Team honoree following his second season and was a four-time All-Star, competing in three NBA All-Star Games.
After retiring from the game, he served as president and general manager of the Little Rock Rim Rockers, which won the 2005 ABA championship. Today, he serves as chairman of the board of directors of the National Basketball Retired Players Association.
The Southwest Conference Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Birdsong will join the other inductees in a ceremony and luncheon at the Omni Hotel in downtown Fort Worth at 11:30 a.m., Monday, Oct. 20. Fans can click here to reserve event tickets and access sponsorship information.
The Southwest Conference Hall of Fame is one of four separate halls of fame housed within the Texas Sports Hall of Fame's physical structure. They include the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and now, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
Fans can take the first step toward the 2014-15 Houston Men's Basketball season by placing deposits for new season tickets with the Athletics Ticket Office at
UHCougars.com or
by clicking here. The deposit is not a fee and will go toward the cost of season tickets.
Season-ticket holders from the 2013-14 season will receive invoices to renew in the near future.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive the latest news and notes by following
@UHCougarMBK on Twitter. Fans also can discuss the latest Houston Men's Basketball news and notes on the team's Facebook page at
HoustonCougarMensHoops.
2014 FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS
Houston fans can guarantee a place in history by purchasing season tickets for the first season in the new TDECU Stadium. Season tickets are
currently on sale starting at just $140 as are Memorial Hermann Family Plan four-pack season tickets, two adult and two youth, for just $299. Lower-level reserved season tickets start at just $200.
Fans interested in purchasing Houston Football season tickets for as low as $140 for seven games can contact the Ticket Sales department online or by calling 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647).
Houston opens the 2014 season at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 29, when it hosts UTSA in the first game in TDECU Stadium.
2014 FOOTBALL MINI PLANS
For those Houston fans who are unable to make it to TDECU Stadium all season, three-game mini plans are available for purchase for $99.
The three-game mini plans give Houston Football fans two options - the opening game of TDECU Stadium vs. UTSA on Friday, Aug. 29, and any other two games this season, except for the Oct. 2 game vs. UCF, or the aforementioned Oct. 2 game vs. UCF, the 2014 Fiesta Bowl champion, and any other two games this season with exception of the TDECU Stadium opener on Aug. 29.
The remaining five games for UH fans to pick from consist of 2013 bowl game participants UNLV and Tulane along with Temple, Tulsa and Grambling State. Fans can purchase mini plans here or by calling 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647).
YOUNG ALUMNI TICKET INFORMATION
University of Houston alumni from the last five years (2010-14) can purchase season tickets for just $125 (upper levels) and $175 (lower level) in specially designated Young Alumni sections with a multiplier of four times donations to Cougar Pride giving levels for the first five years after graduation.
Each ticket consists of a $25 Cougar Pride donation with the four times Young Alumni multiplier, resulting in a $100 donation credit and a Cougar Pride parking pass in the TDECU Stadium Garage. Young Alumni can purchase tickets here or by calling 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647).
GROUP TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game group ticket sales for the inaugural season in TDECU Stadium are now on sale via the Houston Athletics Ticket Office. Groups of at least 10 or more can purchase tickets starting at just $21 per person to any of Houston's seven home games, including 2014 Fiesta Bowl champion UCF, by calling the Houston Athletics Ticket Office at 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) or by clicking here.
