Changing the brand and look

It’s a can’t-miss, scream-it-from-the-rooftop announcement of UH’s impending and long-desired move to the Power Five conference. 

And just the first of many new logos that will become visible at UH’s on-campus athletic facilities in the next 12 months, as the school begins to transition branding from its current affiliation with the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12. 

When UH student-athletes suit up next fall — the school recently finalized plans to begin play in 2023 — they’ll do so in new uniforms that feature the Big 12 logo. The school also will need to change out parts of the playing surfaces at TDECU Stadium, Fertitta Center, Guy V. Lewis Development Facility and Schroeder Park. 

While it may sound like a lot, there is no map or extensive list of AAC logos that eventually must be replaced, and UH’s athletic facilities and offices will require only minimal changes, according to T.J. Meagher, senior associate athletics director for capital projects. UH did not use the AAC logo around its facilities or offices much, eliminating some replacement expenses. 

“I think we were somewhat strategic about what we made our commitment to in terms of long term,” Meagher said. “All were identified quickly in a few minutes. We’re not talking pages. It’s not that long of a list.” 

A recent tour of UH’s on-campus facilities revealed only a handful of permanent AAC logos.  

Two AAC logos are visible on the artificial turf at TDECU Stadium (the red ‘A’ with a star in the middle located at the 25-yard-lines) that can be painted over.  

“We’ll get the stencil, and it will look brand-new,” Meagher said.  

A second-floor wall inside the Athletics-Alumni Center, the headquarters for the school’s 17 varsity sports, features a U.S. map with locations of all 11 AAC members that will need to be removed or updated. 

A natural grass field for soccer will allow the school to paint the Big 12 logo. Elsewhere, banners that feature the current AAC membership will need to be removed from Fertitta Center and Yeoman Fieldhouse, home of the men’s and women’s indoor track programs.  

Meagher said the biggest projects will involve adding the Big 12’s “XII” logo around the free-throw lines at Fertitta Center (the AAC logo is currently placed just inside the 3-point line), a process that is expected to begin next summer, and removal of the “American” logo that is painted on the turf in front of both baseball dugouts at Schroeder Park. The Big 12 logos will be located on the outfield walls at Schroeder Park and Cougar Softball Stadium. 

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The school must also decide how to incorporate the Big 12 logo on the Taraflex volleyball court that overlays the hardwood floor at Fertitta Center. 

The transition will involve a slow rollout following the completion of each sport’s season, beginning in the fall with cross country, soccer and volleyball. That will allow time for programs to begin marketing campaigns to be used for recruiting purposes. 

Now that UH knows its entrance date into the Big 12, Meagher said the school can begin placing orders in November and December for Nike and Jordan brand jerseys and apparel to be worn by student-athletes and coaches. More than 4,000 patches will be provided by the Big 12, a school spokesman said. 

Meagher is no stranger to conference switches. He has been with the school since 2000 and has helped in the transition from Conference USA to short-lived Big East membership that eventually became the AAC in 2013. In his current role, Meagher oversees all construction and renovation projects and in charge of facility and event operations. 

He said the move to the Big 12 will allow UH to introduce itself to a new group of fan bases — and reacquaint with some familiar ones in Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech and TCU. 

“We’re going to have a lot of first-time visitors that have never been to the University of Houston,” Meagher said. “Having an opportunity to think about the elite group that we’ve joined, we really want to put our best foot forward.” 

That means incorporating the Big 12 brand as much as possible. 

“We’re pretty energized about promoting the Big 12,” Meagher said. 

With the additional exposure that comes with playing in the Power Five, UH will eventually take on a larger undertaking that won’t come cheaply. There are plans for more uniformity with the school’s branding, which is a hodgepodge of past and current logos that, depending where you are on campus, includes the skinny “UH” to beveled look and preferred flat block UH logo.  

“We (want to have) one mark, and it’s a strong one,” Meagher said. “The more we use it and the bigger stages we play on, the more recognizable it becomes.” 

Sunday: Lofty goals and a lengthy to-do list