What has Houston athletics achieved in the past decade that no other school has done?

Houston’s basketball team clinched a seventh appearance in the Final Four on Sunday.

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It was also the Cougars’ second Final Four trip in the past five seasons, both under coach Kelvin Sampson.

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The achievement also means another unique distinction, which was proudly pointed out by the Houston athletic department’s social media pages.

With the Final Four appearance coming up, Houston is the only Division I school in the country to win a New Year’s Six bowl game in football and make two Final Fours in men’s basketball within the past 10 years.

The Cougar football team won the 2015 Peach Bowl on December 31, 2015, with a 38-24 win against Florida State. Houston qualified for the Peach Bowl by winning the American Athletic Conference championship game and were the highest ranked “Group of Five” team, earning the Cougars the right to be included in a New Year’s Six bowl that season.

Houston’s basketball team reached its first Final Four under Sampson in 2021, falling to future Big 12 Conference rival Baylor, which included current Cougars’ guard LJ Cryer.

Then on Sunday, the Cougars reached their seventh Final Four in program history with a 69-50 win against Tennessee.

So within the last 10 years, Houston has a New Year’s Six bowl win and two Final Four trips. No other school in the country can lay that claim.

Houston takes on Duke this Saturday in the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio.