The Houston Cougars rolled into TDECU Stadium embracing city culture with no apologies. And turned heads across the nation with their epic entrance before facing Oregon State to kick off their 2026 campaign. The Cougars also pulled off this new pregame ritual with the help of a candy red Cadillac, sparking online reactions.
Houston busted out the new pregame walk that fired up Cougar players. An old school Cadillac with slab rims led the team out amid pyrotechnics and cheers.
A candy-red Cadillac led Houston out of the tunnel 🔥
So Houston popularized slab car culture during the 1990s and 2000s in the Hip-Hop scene. Famed city rappers UGK (Bun B and the late Pimp C), Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Paul Wall plus in recent years Megan Thee Stallion have shot videos or posed in front of slabs.
Those cars helped hand the city its own identity in the music genre. Especially amid Los Angeles embracing low rider culture and the Bay Area popularizing “burning rubber.” Yet Houston rises as the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program to tap into city Hip-Hop history, firing up reactions.
National Personalities React to Houston Entrance
Houston assistant basketball coach Kellen Sampson rose as one loving the entrance.
“In a world of fakes, always be authentic,” Sampson posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter with a “For the City” hashtag.
ESPN persona and NFL Network host Stan Verrett joined in too on reacting to UH’s entrance.
“Houston is doing what Tulane is doing in New Orleans. Recruiting against big state schools? Embrace your CITY’S culture,” Verrett posted.
Fox College Football’s X account was another loving how UH strolled into the stadium.
CBS Sports college football reporter Shehan Jeyarajah let out a “hell yeah” themed post as part of his reaction to the slab-theme.
Yet another Houston team tapped into slabs as well before the Cougars took the field.
Texans Tapped Into City Culture too
The NFL franchise became a part of Nike’s 2026 Rivalries themed uniform. Which features a splash of Houston baby blue on its game day uniform.
But that’s not all when it came to unveiling the look. The uniform features a splash of Houston’s car culture on the side of the uniform.
Nike even called upon famed city Hip-Hop legends Bun B, Lecrae and Slim Thug to join Texans wide receiver Nico Collins in helping unveil the uniform online.
So the the two biggest football brands in “H-Town” are tapping into city history and embracing the culture.
How Houston can Spark new CFB Trend
Vehicles leading out college programs isn’t anything new. Georgia Tech rolls into its games with a 1930 Ford Model A sports car called “Ramblin’ Wreck.”
Even Oregon rolls into Autzen Stadium in style, with a Harley Davidson motorcycle featuring the school mascot leading the Ducks out.
But other CFB programs are intertwined with deep Hip-Hop roots. USC enters the picture here, with the late Nipsey Hussle and Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar blaring through the speakers. So one idea presented here is the Trojans getting led out by a GNX (popularized by Lamar) or 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass (linked to Nipsey Hussle).
Nevertheless, Houston rises as the latest school to tap into city history and culture.
‘Always be Authentic:’ Houston Creates New Buzz Following Epic Entrance