UCLA and the University of Houston have each released their 2007-08 men's basketball schedules (Bruins, Cougars). Fans who had been hoping for a UCLA-Houston game on (or around) January 20, 2008 to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Game of the Century between the schools -- and I very much count myself in this group -- will be disappointed to find that no such game will take place.
This development is not a surprise, of course. As far back as December 2005, UH coach Tom Penders began to pursue a renewal of competition against UCLA, but Bruin coach Ben Howland did not reciprocate.
In the nearly three years I've operated this blog, it has become clear to me that -- consistent with the Penders-Howland episode -- the Game of the Century has been embraced much more heartily by the UH fan community than by its UCLA counterpart.
Houston has a home game on January 19, 2008, versus the University of Texas, El Paso; this is the closest date on the Cougar schedule to January 20. I'll be interested to see if the UH athletic department schedules some type of GOTC commemoration for this day.
