UH, TSU negotiating football game in 2018

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The University of Houston and Texas Southern are in talks to play a non-conference football game in 2018.

UH vice president for intercollegiate athletics Hunter Yurachek and TSU athletic director Dr. Charles McClelland have been in discussions for several months about the game, which would be held at TDECU Stadium. The payout to TSU would be part of the compensation package for UH's men's and women's basketball teams playing some home games next season on the TSU campus while renovations are underway on what will become the Fertitta Center.

While not finalized, the current plan is for the UH men to play most of its non-conference schedule at TSU's H&PE Arena — site of Wednesday night's NIT opener against Akron — and the majority of its American Athletic Conference schedule at Toyota Center. The UH women would play their entire home schedule at TSU.

Yurachek said TSU has been "very accommodating" in sharing its facility and meeting on the football field would be a "win-win situation."

The two schools are separated by just a few blocks but have only met once in football, a 59-6 win by UH in 2007.

UH and TSU are discusssing a football game in 2018 at UH's TDECU Stadium.

UH and TSU are discusssing a football game in 2018 at UH's TDECU Stadium. Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close UH, TSU negotiating football game in 2018 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

"It'd be great for TSU, " Yurachek said. "It'd be great for the University of Houston to keep that money in the city and allow TSU and Houston to create a one-year rivalry, per se.

"Our campuses are almost connected. I think it would be neat for the city of Houston to have that game."

McClelland echoed Yurachek's enthusiasm.

"With the renovation of Hofheinz Pavilion, Hunter and I had an opportunity to sit down as part of that (financial) package, we're talking about this game and I think it will be great for both our fan bases," McClelland said. "I know one thing, it will be sold out. If it gets done, you'd better get your ticket early."

It's not uncommon for a FBS school, college football's top division, to pay for so-called "guarantee" games, which compensate smaller budget schools, usually from FCS, to travel for a game without the stipulation of a return game to play at their stadium. Those payouts can range anywhere from $100,000 to upward of $1.25 million.

UH's current non-conference for 2018 includes road games against Rice (Sept. 1) and Texas Tech (Sept. 15) and a home date against Arizona (Sept. 8). Yurachek said filling the remaining date has been difficult with few options of teams willing to play on the road.

"Scheduling is like putting a big puzzle together," Yurachek said. "In 2018 the puzzle is missing one home game. We have searched high and low for that home game. I believe at this point we have exhausted all available options. We've had several (FBS schools) tell us no and several that are not available right now."

In 2015, UH outlined more stringent guidelines for future football schedules, a model that would include two non-conference games against Power Five opponents and two more from the Group of Five. The school has planned to not schedule any FCS opponents after the 2016, but unforeseen difficulties finding an opponent and the unique situation with TSU opened the door for a one-time exception.

"It's not a different approach," Yurachek said. "Our schedule model is to play two Power Five schools, home and away, and that's been the model we want to retain for years to come.

"As Charles and I sat down and talked about the use of their basketball venue in 2017-18, and some of the fees associated with that, it started to make sense that TSU would be a viable option to play a one-time guarantee game, to help us from a scheduling standpoint in 2018 and help them as well."