Houston lost to Florida in heartbreaking fashion in the NCAA Tournament championship game on Monday night, and many Cougars fans knew their team was doomed the second they spotted Ted Cruz.
Cruz, a longtime United States senator from Texas, challenged Florida U.S. senator Rick Scott to a friendly wager prior to the title game. The two senators offered up some famous cuisine from their respective states and said the loser of the game would wear the jersey of the opposing team.
Scott gladly accepted.
.@TedCruz, you’re on. @GatorsMBK are ready to win it all, and when they do, I look forward to seeing you in a UF jersey.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) April 7, 2025
On the off chance Houston wins, I’ll offer up Cuban food, Florida fresh Key Lime pie, and some amazing Florida beer. GO GATORS! 🐊 https://t.co/8DnHYNblND
Those who believe in the “Ted Cruz Curse” would tell you Cruz never stood a chance of winning that bet. That became clear the second Cruz was spotted at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has made an appearance at the Final Four championship game, despite fans claiming that when the Texas senator attends the game for the team he is rooting for, they are "cursed" and lose the game. https://t.co/GkI0hwmUqz pic.twitter.com/ZclHt8dMhh
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) April 8, 2025
Prior to the Final Four, a petition was launched on Change.org urging Cruz to challenge the filibuster record that New Jersey Senator Cory Booke recently set, when Booke spoke for 25 hours straight on the U.S. Senate floor. The goal of the petition was to keep Cruz away from the Final Four.
Why? Because Cruz has a long history of being in attendance when teams from Texas lose big games. He was present for Texas Tech’s loss to Virginia in the national championship game in 2019. He was also at Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, when the Houston Rockets lost to the Golden State Warriors. Cruz has mixed in several losses at important games for the Texas and Texas A&M football teams.
Though Cruz was in attendance for some games when during the Houston Astros’ World Series runs in 2017 and 2022, fans obviously feel the curse is real. The Cougars’ loss on Monday (especially the way in which the game ended) will not help Cruz overcome that reputation.
