Ryan Monceaux is the publisher for GoCoogs.com.

After 27 years in the wilderness, the Houston Cougars finally arrive at the destination they've sought all along. The journey ends with the school live-streaming a midnight toast on Saturday morning to usher in the Big 12 era.

July 1, 2023, will be the most impactful day for the University of Houston Athletics since May 3, 1971, when the Coogs entered the Southwest Conference. In 20 seasons in the SWC (21 in basketball), the Cougars won four Southwest Conference titles, went to four Cotton Bowls, won a Heisman Trophy in football, and went to three Final Fours, had eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and won eight SWC titles in hoops.

As the 1980s turned to the 90s, Houston failed to prepare for the coming storm. UH officials were shocked when Arkansas announced they were heading to the SEC. They were bewildered when Texas A&M floated themselves and the Cougars as part of a 14-team SEC in 1993. And Houston was left flatfooted when UT and A&M began negotiating with the Big 8 without them.

Today, UH has a seat at the table thanks to a conference shuffle brought on by OU and Texas. But also, because the school has put itself in a position for a moment just like this.

In the 29 years since the SWC implosion, Houston has built an athletics district with, among other things, a fieldhouse, new locker rooms, a weight room, and an indoor track. The school has also invested in a baseball stadium; tennis courts; a natatorium; renovated a football stadium before tearing it down and building a new, larger stadium in its place; a softball stadium; a track and field and soccer stadium; a golf facility; an indoor practice facility for football; new outdoor practice fields; a practice facility for men's and women's basketball; a new basketball arena; a baseball development building; and are ready to break ground on a new football operations building when the 2023 football season is complete.

The Cougars have spent decades inching closer to being a program worthy of inclusion in the Big 12. There were missteps: 0-11 in 2001, season-opening home losses to Texas State and UTSA in three years, and giving up 70 points to Army in a bowl game. But there were classics, too: a C-USA title in 2006, an American title and Peach Bowl win in 2015, beating two top-five teams in 2016, and recruiting two-star Case Keenum from Abilene Wylie and developing him into the all-time NCAA record holder for passing yards and touchdowns. 

Football hiring has been mixed, with as many bad hires as good. Despite a short run by Tom Penders in the mid-2000s, basketball needed Kelvin Sampson's vision and patience to resurrect a once-proud program. Sampson has delivered beyond expectations, as his Cougars are the second-winningest program nationally in the last five years (149-26, 85.1%).

Houston has a favorable football schedule in their inaugural Big 12 season, with five league games at home and only two trips outside the state. The program has set a school record with over 25,000 season tickets sold (basketball season tickets are sold out, too). Football recruiting has started to tick upwards, too, with strategic commitments announced in the run-up to the conference move. Overall, there's a building enthusiasm for UH unseen since the late 70s. But will they be able to take advantage over the long term? 

Most UH fans understand that getting their footing in the new league will take some time. But for now, renewing SWC feuds and playing in a (somewhat) regional conference excites Cougar fans.