[3] The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the Big 12 Conference.

The official school colors of the University of Houston are scarlet red and albino white, and the mascot is a cougar named Shasta.

Houston's traditional rival has been Rice with whom the Cougars shared a conference for thirty-three non-consecutive years (see also Houston–Rice rivalry).

The Cougars play their home games in the Fertitta Center, which opened during the 2018–19 season after renovation of the former Hofheinz Pavilion.

Notable players for the UH men's basketball team include Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler (who would win two and one NBA Championships respectively, both for the hometown Houston Rockets in 1994–95, with Olajuwon being the Finals MVP for both titles) and also were part of the legendary Cougars fraternity Phi Slama Jama, as well as Otis Birdsong and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (who would win one NBA Championship with the Washington Bullets in 1978).

Notable coaches for the Cougars are Guy Lewis, Clyde Drexler and Kelvin Sampson.

In the fall of 2023, the club was resurrected and played its first game post-revival against East Texas Baptist University.

The team's re-establishment has been met with enthusiasm from students and alumni, contributing to the growing popularity of ice hockey within the city of Houston.

The club's home games are played at the Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center, where they have begun to establish a dedicated fan base.

[10] Houston's most meaningful current rivalry is with cross-town Rice University, which is a member of the American Athletic Conference.

[11] Most of the university's major sports facilities are located along Cullen Boulevard, the central traffic artery through the campus.

At times in the past, some of the university's teams have played their home games at off-campus venues such as the Astrodome and Rice Stadium.