Houston’s Dana Holgorsen Unloads on Texas, Texas A&M: ‘Screw Them’

The Cougars coach believes the state’s flagship programs are the reason why Houston was not in the Big 12 from its inception.

Houston football coach Dana Holgorsen is thrilled to begin the program’s first year in the Big 12 this season.

However, the ’23 season is not the first instance where Houston attempted to join the league and Holgorsen has not deleted that moment from his mind. The Cougars attempted join the Big 12 when it was initially created in ’94.

As Holgorsen spoke to a disappointed fan about the program’s decision to join the Big 12 on his weekly radio show on Tuesday, he took jabs against the state’s crown jewels Texas and Texas A&M as the reason why the Cougars were unable to join the league when it was created nearly 30 years ago.

The fan was disappointed that Houston was finally joining the Big 12 with Texas A&M gone and Texas set to depart after one more year in the league.

“You can have that opinion about Texas and Texas A&M if you want to, but they are the reasons we weren’t in the Big 12,” Holgorsen said on The Dana Holgorsen Radio Show, per The Houston Chronicle. “Those two [schools] are the specific reasons why we haven’t been in the Big 12 the last 28 years. Screw them. They can go wherever they want. They don’t want us, and we don’t want them. So move on.”

Houston football coach Dana Holgorsen speaks during a press conference at Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium ahead of the team’s first year in the league :: Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports

Luckily for Holgorsen, he will not have to deal with the Longhorns for much longer. Ahead of the ’24 season, the Longhorns will depart the Big 12 for the SEC. Meanwhile, the Aggies exited the conference for the SEC in ’12. Both of the in-state schools were founding members of the Big 12.

Houston will face Texas on Oct. 21, marking their first matchup as conference foes since the final year of the old Southwestern Conference in ’95. The Longhorns have owned the series in recent years, winning the last seven matchups with the most recent coming in ’02.

But prior to the Texas-UH clash, the Cougars will begin their first year of Big 12 action on Sept. 16 against TCU.