Gary Blair: "This is the time to step forward and put our best boot forward."

Updated: 8:25 a.m. -- September 17, 2018

September 17, 2018

Gary Blair, Texas A&M Women's Basketball Head Coach, is no stranger to the city of Houston. When he took over the women's basketball program at Texas A&M in 2003, Gary Blair's recruiting philosophy centered around signing the best players in Houston.

"Look at all the great players over the years (from Houston). A&M, when I first started building this program, we decided to put a picket fence around Houston first; and, try to get the best players that we could possibly get. And, we did that with the (LaToya) Micheaux and (Patrice) Reado and Damitria Buchanan and Takia Starks.

"Then, the list kept growing and growing and growing. Our men have done the same thing."

Tuesday, September 18, representatives from the city of Houston and the Harris County Houston Sports Authority will make a final presentation to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee as part of Houston's bid to host the 2021 NCAA Women's Final Four. Texas A&M is the host-school for the bid; and, Gary Blair wants the Women's Final Four to come to Houston.

Houston is among 8 cities under consideration to host during the 2021-2024 four-year period. The other cities include Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Missouri; Minneapolis, Nashville and San Antonio.

If Houston is awarded a bid, Toyota Center would be the arena hosting the Women's Final Four semifinal and championship games. An announcement is expected September 24 (instead of early October).

"We applied for the (Women's) Final Four four years ago. And, Dallas was awarded it. Dallas did a great job with it," said Coach Blair. "And, what I want to do is be a part of it (Houston's hosting the Women's Final Four). Texas A&M is one of the co-hosts (along with Harris County Houston Sports Authority) for presenting this. I want people to see what top basketball is all about; and, this is going to help the youth programs around Houston.

"I just want to be a part of it," Coach Blair continued. "We came close four years ago; but, Dallas put in a bid that was a little bit better. This time, Houston has gone out of its way and put its best foot forward. Texas A&M wants to be a part of it. Gary Blair wants to be a part of it. Van Chancellor wants to be a part of it. Cynthia Cooper wants to be a part of it. And, Sheryl Swoopes."

The Women's Final Four has taken place in the state of Texas four times; but, none of those occasions were in Houston.

"(The Women's Final Four) It's been in San Antone (yep, Coach said San Antone instead of San Antonio) two different times (2002 and 2010). Dallas one time (2017). Now, it's time to bring it home to Houston," Blair said matter-of-fact.

"Why Dallas? Why San Antone? Even, back in the day, they had a NCAA national championship tournament in Austin in, I believe, in 1985 (1987)," Coach Blair acknowledged. "So, basketball, particularly for the women's side, high school basketball in the state of Texas is the best in the country. What the UIL (University Interscholastic League) does is tremendous on how they organize, keep everything in the districts good, the competition is good; the state tournaments are excellent. They're held in San Antone now; so, why not Houston?"

Facilities, or lack there-of, has been an issue in and around Houston for hosting large girls' basketball events such as national AAU / grassroots tournaments.

"You go up to the Dallas area; and, they've got about five facilities to be able to hold mega events for summer / AAU tournaments and everything," Blair admitted. "Houston has been lagging behind on that; and, this is what we need to do both for boys' and girls' basketball where it can be transformed into volleyball, indoor soccer, and a lot of different events. We need to catch up as far as the infrastructure of hosting the summer events like Little League and everything like that."

Houston has hosted major sporting events - including the NCAA Men's Final Four in 1971, 2011, 2016 (and will host in 2023); but, Houston has not won a bid to host a Women's Final Four.

"What we've done with Super Bowls; with Final Fours on the men's side; with championship tennis events; great golf tournaments. With the proximity of so many great Division 1 schools with Houston, Rice, Houston Baptist, Prairie View, Texas Southern and Texas A&M, I think, speaks volumes of what this area can do for women's basketball in particular."

"(Houston) It's a great sports city; but, more important, it's just a great city," Coach Blair continued his Chamber of Commerce-type commentary trumpeting Houston.

"People want to get involved. Look at what we've done with the relief efforts for the hurricanes. Look what J.J. Watt was able to get started.

"Houston is all about giving back. Now, we want to put that shining star out there. We want to put Houston on the map (for women's college basketball). We've never had a bad Final Four in the state of Texas. They've all been good.

"It's time for Houston to step up; put our big boy, cowboy boots on, show the country what we can do as far as (women's) basketball. When you start looking at it -- 'how can we infuse the enthusiasm?'

"I think you go back to all the Comets' days when they won four world championships with Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson and Cynthia Cooper and Van Chancellor and so many others."

Coach Blair also had a message for the WNBA.

"I think there needs to be a WNBA team back in Houston. The number one area because they will support women's basketball."

In December, the Aggies will face the Houston Cougars in the first women's college basketball game in the new, $60-million Fertitta Center.

"They will support (women's) college basketball. We're coming down December 6th to open up the new facility at Hofheinz (the Fertitta Center). We're looking forward to that: playing the University of Houston in their new facility."

Coach Blair wants people who have never been to Houston to know the city has plenty of things to do, places to see, and places to eat.

"I think Houston (the city) has got a lot to offer. The best thing about it is when you're in downtown Houston all the hotels and everything are right there. We're not having to walk or take Uber or take cabs all over the country. We can walk to everywhere."

"Let's get people excited! Let's get people talking about it! And, then, it's going to take the corporate world to buy some of these seats up. Don't just rely on all the high school and junior high kids to put up the money. We need the corporations to get involved and say 'Hey, we want to entertain our clients.' Just like you do when you play the golf tournaments or when you've had the NBA All-Star Game there (Toyota Center), which I attended; the World Series that the Astros just got finished winning (2017) and will probably win again this year.

"Now, it's time for Houston. It's our time. And, I'm talking about women's basketball -- all the way from the little dribblers programs to those kids that are five and 6 years old to the college teams that are there to the professionals that all came from the city of Houston.

"Houston is the fourth or fifth-largest city in the United States; and, it needs to host a Women's Final Four."

"This is the time to step forward and put our best boot forward."

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