Be front and center at the most important games and sports events in Houston in February 2016, from basketball to college baseball to international rugby and soccer matches and more.
Also in February 2016
This time next year, Houston will be hosting Super Bowl LI – and who knows, maybe the Texans will have found a quarterback by then and find their way into the game. But since this year’s Super Bowl is not being played in Houston and does not feature a team from Houston (Gary Kubiak and his band of former Texans in Denver do not count), the big game on February 7 does not make this list of top sporting events for the month of February.
But there’s plenty to love in the world of Houston sports this month. The Houston Rockets host three games against playoff contenders. College baseball season begins with the University of Houston and Rice both ranked in the top 25. U of H and TSU’s men’s basketball teams are both enjoying an impressive stretch of play. And BBVA Compass Stadium will host a new international rugby tournament along the Women’s Soccer CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championships.
With opening night of the Houston Roller Derby season also on the calendar, it’s a month that has something for everyone.
Top 11 Games & Sports Events to Attend this Month: February 2016
- Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat at Toyota Center | Tuesday, February 2 – Clinging to the seventh seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets play only three home games in the entire month of February. First up are the Heat, the third seed in the Eastern Conference led by longtime All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, resurgent veteran Amar’e Stoudemire and center Hassan Whiteside. Former Rocket Goran Dragic starts at point guard for the Heat, who also feature Houston natives Gerald Green and Justise Winslow at small forward. Tickets start at $59, but you may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market. 7pm.
- Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers at Toyota Center | Saturday, February 6 – The Blazers entered February right on the Rockets’ heels as the eighth seed in the West, with guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum both averaging more than 20 points per game on the season. Rockets fans, of course, know Lillard all too well for his buzzer-beating Game 6 three-pointer that sent Houston packing in the first round of the playoffs in 2014 – a memory that still stings almost two years later. $25 and up, but you may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market. 4pm.
- USA vs. Argentina – Americas Rugby Championship at BBVA Compass Stadium | Saturday, February 6 – The inaugural Americas Rugby Championship competition will feature six of North and South America’s top-ranked international rugby union teams – Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the U.S. and Uruguay – in round-robin play over a five-week period. The USA Rugby Men’s Eagles open their tournament in Houston against Argentina XV, the fifth-ranked team in the world. It will be one of only three matches in the tournament to be played on U.S. soil. $23 and up; but you may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale marketplace. 7pm.
- Houston Cougars vs. Memphis Tigers men’s basketball at Hofheinz Pavilion | Wednesday, February 10 – Fresh off a huge upset victory over No. 12-ranked SMU, the Cougars can make a compelling case for an NCAA Tournament bid with a strong finish to the season. Their next home game comes against Memphis, which made the Tourney in four consecutive years from 2011-14 under head coach Josh Pastner and is in need of a late-season surge to make it back to the dance in 2016. $5 and up; you may find better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market 6pm.
- CONCACAF Women’s Soccer Olympic Qualifying Championship Doubleheaders at BBVA Compass Stadium | Thursday, February 11 through Sunday, February 21 – Two women’s soccer teams will represent CONCACAF at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, and the identity of those two teams will be decided in Houston. Following three Group B (Canada, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana) doubleheader matches at BBVA from February 11 to 16, the stadium will host the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying semifinals (February 19) and finals (February 21). The latter two matches will likely feature Carli Lloyd and the USWNT, who as winners of the 2015 World Cup and the last three Olympics will be heavy favorites to advance to Rio out of Group A. $20 and up, depending on the match(es); but you may save on better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale marketplace. Times vary.
- Texas Southern Tigers vs. Jackson State Tigers men’s basketball at Health and Physical Education Arena | Saturday, February 13 – TSU’s Derrick Griffin is the best Houston athlete you’ve probably never heard of – a 6-7, 225-pound redshirt freshman forward who was one of the top football recruits in the country out of B.F. Terry High School in Rosenberg. After originally signing with the Miami Hurricanes as a two-sport star in 2014, he had 11 touchdown catches for TSU in 2015 and now has become a double-double machine for the Tigers’ red-hot hoops squad, which was 9-0 in league play as of February 1. Right behind them in the SWAC standings: Jackson State, tied for second with a 7-2 conference record. $10. 7:30pm.
- Rice Owls vs. Arizona Wildcats baseball at Reckling Park | Friday, February 19 – No. 24 Rice opens the 2016 season at home against Pac-12 power Arizona, one of the winningest programs in college baseball history and the 2012 College World Series champs. With two preseason all-conference players of their own, Rice was the unanimous preseason pick to win Conference USA by the league’s coaches – par for the course for the Owls under coach Wayne Graham, whose team has reached the NCAA Tournament in 21 consecutive years. The three-day series continues through the weekend and concludes on Sunday, February 21. $15 and up. You may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market. 6pm.
- Houston Cougars vs. Villanova Wildcats baseball at Cougar Field | Friday, February 19 – Coming off a 43-win season in which they won their conference title and hosted an NCAA Regional, the Coogs enter 2016 with sky-high hopes supported by a No. 18 ranking from USA Today (No. 12 from Baseball America). Their season begins at home against Villanova, which is led by All-Big East second baseman Todd Czinege. Houston coach Todd Whitting has directed his team to 40-plus victories in back-to-back seasons. $6 and up. This three-day series continues through Sunday, February 21. You may find better seats on the ticket resale market. 6:30pm.
- Houston Roller Derby Season Opener Double-header at Revention Music Center | Saturday, February 20 – The Houston Roller Derby – a four-team women’s league with more than 120 skaters that sells about 1,400 tickets for each bout – opens its 11th season with a double-header extravaganza on February 20. The event will feature off-track entertainment including a meet-and-greet, Fan Corner, skater autographs and a FanCam area along with featured vendors. Houston Roller Derby holds its double-header bouts on the third Saturday of each month from February to August. $15 and up. 6:30pm.
- 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park | Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28 – The marquee six-team college baseball tournament hosted by the Astros Foundation, which annually features hometown teams Houston and Rice along with other top clubs, is now in its 16th season. This year’s three-day tournament will feature Texas Tech, No. 13 University of Louisiana-Lafayette, No. 22 Arkansas and No. 11 TCU along with U of H (No. 18) and Rice (No. 24). $10 and up for single-day passes; $24 and up for three-day passes. Times vary.
- Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center | Saturday, February 27 – Entering February at 39-8, the Spurs boasted the second-best record in the NBA behind only the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets will be looking to avenge a 130-99 beatdown in San Antonio on Jan. 27. To do so, they’ll have to slow down 2016 All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Lamarcus Aldridge, who have become the Spurs’ top playmakers with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli in the twilight of their careers. Check for tickets on TicketNetwork’s resale market. 7pm.