From the Twitter feed of Brandon Blue comes this across-the-endzone pic of the University of Houston’s newly minted TDECU Stadium, highlighting the view of downtown Houston the structure’s designers felt made it worth twisting the scrapped-and-rebuilt house of Cougar football. Robertson Stadium was aligned in a more even-handed northish-southish direction. TDECU Stadium (officially, ), constructed on the demolished remains of that structure, is rotated to match the eastish-westish orientation of neighboring Scott St. and Cullen Blvd., a decision that a few momentarily blinded quarterbacks or receivers may come to bemoan during afternoon games. But the benefit of those bleacher cutouts separating the upper decks of stadium’s endzones from the bleachers at the sides is clear: A gleaming glimpse of Houston’s homegrown mountain range opens up through the concrete canyon.
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The green, red, and white artificial turf is officially named John O’Quinn Field. The stadium is scheduled to open on August 29th, with the Cougars playing UTSA.
- Previously on Swamplot:Â New UH Football Stadium Will Point in a Slightly Different Direction;Â Bigger Ed: How UH Is Shaping Up;Â Goodbye, Robertson Stadium: Replacement UH Football Venue Gets Go-Ahead
Photo: Brandon Blue via Twitter
Anyone else tired of our city’s overuse of acronym-named stadiums? NRG, BBVA, and now TDECU. Sheesh what a mouthful.
Until someone builds a highrise in the foreground that is.
How funny. Hey the receivers and quarterback can’t see 2 feet, but wow, look at that skyline! Nice view tho. As for the acronym, it’s better then having to say the stupid ass name for this stadium every time you mentioned it–talk about a mouth full.
The name is terrible but the stadium looks absolutely beautiful. Makes me wish I was still a student there sometimes…
I would not have a problem calling it James Stadium, but, you apparently got outbid for the naming rights by the Texas Dow Employees Credit Union.
Indeed, the new name does not roll off the tongue. People are probably going to refer to the place by the actual turf (O’Quinn Field), or if they want to be cute TD (as in Touchdown) Stadium.
Much as “John O’Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium” became “the Rob”, this will probably become “the Dow”.
Just make up a pronunciation. “TDECU” becomes “tuh-DECK-you”, and is the response to “why Grandma, what big fists you have!”
Likewise, “NRG” becomes “nurg” (a kind of parasitic technician) and “BBVA” becomes “bubba-VUH” (Popul Vuh’s brother from the country).
Seems a bit shortsighted. How many people will really enjoy that view? By framing it by the “concrete canyon”, only a few selected seats will enjoy that view. I would bet a large majority of fans will not see the skyline. If you’re going to turn from the standard N-S alignment and cause glare issues on your players, at least make the view wide open so that most people can enjoy it.
@James
I mean, instead of BBVA you can go with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Compass Stadium. Or Texas Dow Employees Credit Union Stadium instead.
BBVA Compass is the official name now, so it’s not even really an acronym anymore from what I understand.
The 15,000 fans that attend your average UH game should be able to crowd onto the side of the stadium facing downtown.
I forgot the ‘Compass’ off of ‘BBVA Compass’ stadium. That one actually out does TDECU on a syllable count at least.
I don’t lament the fact that ‘naming rights’ are here to stay. As such an easy source of revenue it would be dumb to not pursue it. I just find it funny how little consideration is given to the actual name. Whoever is the highest bidder gets the prize. I’d like some really rich avant-garde artist to bid on one of these stadiums and name it ‘ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Stadium’. Take that tv and radio broadcasters!
@ Heightsguy, fine stay home and watch UT or aTm.
In case you didn’t know, or didn’t go (like Heightsguy) the view was one thing a great many fans enjoyed while attending a Cougars game. Why the stadium was rotated still isn’t clear to me, but they claim that more fans will be able to enjoy the view of downtown. Fans also wanted palm trees to be planted like at Robertson, but that hasn’t happened yet. I don’t understand why that couldn’t get worked out, but hopefully someday.
And yes, I got season tickets. Eat ’em up \\n/
so, with the TDECU sponsoring the stadium, does that mean when people go there they will be blessed with the opportunity to use their ATMs with a large surcharge if you need cash?
You watching the game or the view?
Yeah know I went to UT and the student section has a great view of downtown Austin, actually better then this stadiums view of Houston, and ya know what? I can’t ever really remember looking at the skyline because I was there for FOOTBALL!!! It’s nice this stadium has a nice view of downtown, but it’s first and foremost a fucking football stadium so how about building it so the sun in not in the eyes of the players! This is so Cougar High. Enjoy your view Glen, with the other 23, 434, nobody is there for the football anyway.
Though I wished UH had kept the north-south alignment, I’m looking forward to the first game.
The games are fun, tons of tailgating, and just about every seat in the stadium has a good view of the field (which is really the only important view) unlike some of its giant brethren. Go Coogs!
@Shannon
I know I shouldn’t “feed” you, but you regularly post that you “went to UT”, whether it’s relevant to the topic or not. As a UT grad (not sure if you’re just and “EX” or actual graduate), I recommend you stop making the claim if your goal is to present UT as a great institution of higher learning, because your posts often disprove that point.
It’s sad we spend the day teaching students and after school they bash their heads together and many of them will develop degenerative brain disease for our entertainment. None of my business though.
@tiredntexas
—My lord, he’s going to think you are me, posting in costume!! I do agree with you but he’s immune to criticism, constructive or not.
He is an authority on everything. His opinion counts twice as much as anyone’s.
Shannon-
Not only are you a snob, but you are also an idiot. There are MANY college football stadiums that have an East-West field orientation. The majority of them are in the South (Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina, Georgia, and Oklahoma State are just a few). As a “UT” grad, I am also sure you’ve heard of seasons (the result of the Earth’s rotation around the Sun). Do you realize that the Sun’s position over the Earth changes each season? That those changes are greater in places North of here where football was invented (college football was first played in New Jersey)? That in the Fall, the Sun “falls” into the Southern sky in places like New Jersey where it could be blinding during a day game in late Fall? That in Houston, those changes aren’t as great? Oh, and that there has been something invented that allows for night games (yay electricity!)? That Houston plays mostly night games? That during the rare day game, the tall Southern stands might help block the sun for most spectators? That it isn’t uncommon to place your opponents in the direct sunlight to gain an advantage? Maybe you should take a basic astronomy class…
That orientation and view serves one purpose…the slow zoom back from the skyline and into the stadium when the broadcast comes out of a TV Timeout. It’s a money shot. Bravo.
That third deck looks as unstable as those temps they erected several years ago and could not use because they were unsafe.
Proud University showing off our proud city. No arguement. It is what it is. Enjoy.
https://imgur.com/a/atVWH
Negatively altered by indoor football facility