The Ticker
jnrobertson@uh.edu
Senior Communications Manager
Connecting to Community Vital To Texans’ Success,
Says Texans President Rootes
Houston Texans President Jamey Rootes addressed the Bauer Alumni Breakfast meeting and took time to meet current MBA students.
The Houston Texans are enjoying their most successful season since they brought the NFL back to Houston eight years ago.
Front Office chief Jamey Rootes, who serves as president, told a standing-room-only crowd of UH Bauer alumni during the Bauer Alumni Association Breakfast on Nov. 19 that it boils down to three priorities — winning Championships, creating memorable experiences and doing great things for Houston. Rootes was pleased the Texans’ current 5-4 record was putting the team on the right track to a successful season. He was even more ecstatic about the Texans’ impact on the city of Houston over the past eight years.
“We have sold out eight consecutive seasons with more than 62,000 season ticket holders per year,” Rootes said. “No other Houston sports franchise has accomplished this.” He credited the organization’s success to having a clear purpose in Houston, which translates into fan enthusiasm.
“Everything we do must resonate in the community.” The Texans and tailgating at Reliant Stadium were recently named the #1 Tailgate in the NFL by an expert who travels to every NFL stadium. “It starts with a great city and great people,” lauded Rootes.
The Texans are the #1 per capita giver to the United Way. That founder and team owner Robert McNair and his wife Janice did not hesitate to help in the wake of Hurricane Katrina speaks volumes, Rootes said. The McNairs gave $1 million to be matched in a telethon resulting in $2.5 million for relief efforts.
Rootes also cited the 1st ever Texans YMCA set to open and a commitment to youth education focused on Boys & Girls Club support. “Our players mirror our mission,” added Rootes, who described how two players had helped a family purchase a home near a special needs school which the family needed to access.
Another way Texans have built community awareness is by even bringing soccer into Reliant Stadium. “The game we hosted in 2003 between the U.S. and Mexico attracted 70,000 people and is one of the largest crowds of its kind in America.” The Texans home also hosts competitive college bowl games and Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show, both of which give the organization a year-round presence touching broader audiences.
Rootes closed the way he began by paying tribute to the University of Houston and Houston Cougar Football team success. “Coach Sumlin is taking the Cougars to a place they haven’t been and Mack Rhoades knows what it takes to make UH Athletics even greater.”
By Chester Jacinto
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Bauer College of Business
The C.T. Bauer College of Business has been in operation for more than 60 years at the University of Houston main campus. Through its five academic departments, the college offers a full-range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in business. The Bauer College is fully accredited by the AACSB International - the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In August 2000, Houston business leader and philanthropist Charles T. (Ted) Bauer endowed the College of Business with a $40 million gift. In recognition of his generosity, the college was renamed the C.T. Bauer College of Business.