HOUSTON – In the world of sports for Houston, 2022 was an incredibly memorable year -- and that’s putting it incredibly lightly.
Shall we begin tracking the highlights of the year? OK. Here we go.
1. Astros win the World Series
Duh, right? Let’s start right here.
The Astros won the World Series on Nov. 6, in Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies with a final score of 4-1.
Pitcher Justin Verlander subsequently won the Cy Young Award.
Take a beautiful walk down recent memory lane:
Some other notable moments you’ll not forget but might want to re-live: Chas McCormick’s crazy play in Game 5, Kate Upton’s amazing jacket look we all wanted to copy and that time a fan ran out onto the field and got into big trouble and that beautiful parade with all the celebrities.
2. UH No. 1 in AP poll
Nearly four decades after Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon took the Cougars to No. 1, the latest bunch led by Marcus Sasser and star freshman Jarace Walker took over the top spot in the AP Top 25 in November. They received 45 of 63 first-place votes from the national media panel, easily outdistancing second-place Texas and third-place Virginia. Read more here.
3. After beating the Aggies, Rice women 6-0 for first time
The Rice women’s basketball team is off to a program-best start following its 66-58 victory over Texas A&M University on Nov. 27 in College Station.
The Owls improved to 6-0 by downing the Aggies (4-2) behind 16 points from Ashlee Austin, setting off a celebration in the visitors’ locker room at Reed Arena. Read more here.
4. Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson was a constant headline topic throughout 2022.
Watson served an 11-game NFL suspension in 2022 for multiple violations of the personal conduct policy. As KPRC 2 contributor Aaron Wilson reported, the Georgia native and three-time Pro Bowl selection previously played his final game with the Texans before being traded this offseason in a blockbuster move. He was signed to an unprecedented $230 million fully guaranteed contract amidst the controversy of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and not being charged by a crime by two Texas grand juries.
In the days before the matchup with the Texans, Watson repeatedly declined to answer legal questions pertaining to the multiple sexual misconduct and sexual assault lawsuits he has settled.
Watson played with the Cleveland Browns against the Texans in early December, with some of the women who accused him attending the game. Several people wore Watson jerseys with derogatory messages and relentlessly booed the player.
MORE:
5. The Texans are really bad
The Texans have had a really, really bad season. How do we know this? KPRC 2′s Randy McIlvoy has not been shy the entire season as he sounded off over and over again about the team’s sad exploits.
Cal McNair, it's time to make your plans for this staff. Also GM Nick Caserio who you allowed to construct this mess. He has been a disaster. You should be embarrassed at this product. #Texans pic.twitter.com/B5MlRYF6nz
— Randy McIlvoy (@KPRC2RandyMc) December 4, 2022
The team currently has the worst record in the NFL, as of this writing.
6. Houston Dash make playoffs
The Houston Dash made the playoffs in 2022. The team reported on its website that the season ended with a 2-1 defeat to Kansas City Current. The game was at Houston’s PNC Stadium in the quarterfinals of the NWSL Playoffs. This was Houston’s first postseason experience after finishing fourth in the league table and the team closed the season with a 10-7-6 mark. The Dash return to PNC Stadium in 2023 for their 10th campaign in the National Women’s Soccer League.
7. Announcement made that the World Cup is coming to Houston in 2026
Houston, we’ve got a World Cup coming!
An announcement in June revealed that Houston will be one of the host cities when the United States, Canada, and Mexico host the World Cup in 2026.
Houston was one of 16 cities chosen among 22 contenders across the three countries.
8. University of Houston to join the Big 12
The University of Houston voted to accept the invite to join the Big 12 Conference back in 2021.
In June of this year, the University of Houston reached an exit agreement with the American Athletic Conference to end its decade-long membership on July 1, 2023, setting the stage for the Cougars to join the Big 12 Conference next fall.
In 2021, it was announced that Rice University would take one of the open spots in the AAC.
9. Texas set to leave Big 12 for SEC in 2025
The Texas Longhorns will remain in the Big 12 Conference through the 2024 season, new conference commissioner Brett Yormark said in October.
Speaking to reporters at the Big 12 Basketball Tipoff inside Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center, Yormark remarked on his discussions saying the Texas Longhorns are set to depart the Big 12 and join the SEC in 2025.