10/25/25 UConn @ Rice Game Time/TV Announced (3p ET/ESPN+) | The Boneyard
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10/25/25 UConn @ Rice Game Time/TV Announced (3p ET/ESPN+)

off topic, but Rice needs to do something about that stadium.
If i heard right, it's a pretty historic and significant venue, JFK had a speech there or something?

it seems to have been a premier athletic venue back in the day... but boy is it a cavern for a meh G6 program in an overly saturated sports city/region, with nothing around it but parking.

a relic of a longggggg bygone era in Houston sports. very awkward last time uconn was there, IMO.


UCLA is having similar problems at the rose bowl, but 2 major differences:
  • rose bowl is STILL relevant as a prestigious CFB venue, and has other more important uses besides housing UCLA (ie. the rose bowl game itself)
  • UCLA being a PREMIERE p4 brand and now rid of deshawn foster and finally winning, probably has a chance to revive attendance, and get rid of the seat cover banners, most programs install to hide the low attendance and force crowds lower to the action.
 
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Jetskies said:
off topic, but Rice needs to do something about that stadium.
If i heard right, it's a pretty historic and significant venue, JFK had a speech there or something?

it seems to have been a premier athletic venue back in the day... but boy is it a cavern for a meh G6 program in an overly saturated sports city/region, with nothing around it but parking.

a relic of a longggggg bygone era in Houston sports. very awkward last time uconn was there, IMO.


UCLA is having similar problems at the rose bowl, but 2 major differences:
  • rose bowl is STILL relevant as a prestigious CFB venue, and has other more important uses besides housing UCLA (ie. the rose bowl game itself)
  • UCLA being a PREMIERE p4 brand and now rid of deshawn foster and finally winning, probably has a chance to revive attendance, and get rid of the seat cover banners, most programs install to hide the low attendance and force crowds lower to the action.
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Rice has money. If they thought a new stadium, or massive improvements to the one they had, would bring in more money and more ability to compete, they would do it. They presumably don’t think so.
 
Jetskies said:
off topic, but Rice needs to do something about that stadium.
If i heard right, it's a pretty historic and significant venue, JFK had a speech there or something?

it seems to have been a premier athletic venue back in the day... but boy is it a cavern for a meh G6 program in an overly saturated sports city/region, with nothing around it but parking.

a relic of a longggggg bygone era in Houston sports. very awkward last time uconn was there, IMO.


UCLA is having similar problems at the rose bowl, but 2 major differences:
  • rose bowl is STILL relevant as a prestigious CFB venue, and has other more important uses besides housing UCLA (ie. the rose bowl game itself)
  • UCLA being a PREMIERE p4 brand and now rid of deshawn foster and finally winning, probably has a chance to revive attendance, and get rid of the seat cover banners, most programs install to hide the low attendance and force crowds lower to the action.
Expand ...
1760477961629.jpeg

Rice Stadium. Ahhh, Super Bowl VIII. The last time the Dolphins won.
As a fan and a young boy at the time, great times. Not so much since.
 
Jetskies said:
off topic, but Rice needs to do something about that stadium.
If i heard right, it's a pretty historic and significant venue, JFK had a speech there or something?

it seems to have been a premier athletic venue back in the day... but boy is it a cavern for a meh G6 program in an overly saturated sports city/region, with nothing around it but parking.

a relic of a longggggg bygone era in Houston sports. very awkward last time uconn was there, IMO.


UCLA is having similar problems at the rose bowl, but 2 major differences:
  • rose bowl is STILL relevant as a prestigious CFB venue, and has other more important uses besides housing UCLA (ie. the rose bowl game itself)
  • UCLA being a PREMIERE p4 brand and now rid of deshawn foster and finally winning, probably has a chance to revive attendance, and get rid of the seat cover banners, most programs install to hide the low attendance and force crowds lower to the action.
Expand ...
I wish we had the problems Rice has. I just took a gander and I didn't think it was that bad.

They've recently made renovations. They removed the entire north end section of seats and built a performance center. Reduced capacity from 70k to 47k. They'll probably continue to modernize the stadium. It's easier to downsize than expand. They even have a bubble and a bike track.

"On May 9, 2019, the Rice University Board of Trustees approved a proposal for an air-supported multipurpose facility on the west side of Rice Stadium that will offer climate-protected space for varsity athletics training, campus recreation and Rice student events, activities and community partner events. The 80,000 square foot inflatable structure rose up from the infield area of the bike track west of Rice Stadium for the first time in late July 2020, creating a facility to house practices, intramurals and other events when weather put those events in peril."

rice.jpeg
 
For a few years, Rice has been analyzing additional prospective stadium renovations, decreased seating, enhancements, etc. Analysis paralysis?
 
The stadium is fine. Seats are very close to field and have good sight lines. Houston has gone pro big time since Rice football drew large crowds. They get 20k a game now. Need to elevate and be more entertaining to get bigger crowds. Not in the SWC anymore.
 
Duncan Idaho said:
The stadium is fine. Seats are very close to field and have good sight lines. Houston has gone pro big time since Rice football drew large crowds. They get 20k a game now. Need to elevate and be more entertaining to get bigger crowds. Not in the SWC anymore.
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Yep. They are in the Killer of Programs Conference - The AAC.
Games formerly against the Pony Express replaced with Tulane and Temple rolling into town.
 
Alum86 said:
Yep. They are in the Killer of Programs Conference - The AAC.
Games formerly against the Pony Express replaced with Tulane and Temple rolling into town.
Expand ...
Are we in the same universe? Please explain how the AAC killed Cincy? Or UCF? Or Houston? For that matter, how did it kill Navy? We made bad hires, sucked, and fans walked away. Other programs kept trying and maintained or improved their positions.
 
Duncan Idaho said:
The stadium is fine. Seats are very close to field and have good sight lines. Houston has gone pro big time since Rice football drew large crowds. They get 20k a game now. Need to elevate and be more entertaining to get bigger crowds. Not in the SWC anymore.
Expand ...

Their stadium looks old, rickety and enormous. They need like 25,000 seater.
 
ZooCougar said:
Their stadium looks old, rickety and enormous. They need like 25,000 seater.
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for all the improvements that they've made, which is true and deserve credit, there are still entire sections of bare concrete steps. it looks like a patchwork/half done update of a kitchen; new fridge, new stove, a couple new lights, old everything else...

so unfortunately the changes don't look good, they look odd as long as the "cavernous" old is still there. A recruit would see the new and then see the old and see what I'm seeing... a facility without an identity.

Some stadiums have done a good job marrying the past with the present. Problem is, that story is nice when your present is equal to or better than your past. In rice's case, their past is better than their present, and so that's not a charming story to recruits. The stadium says "we used to matter, we don't anymore".
 
Jetskies said:
for all the improvements that they've made, which is true and deserve credit, there are still entire sections of bare concrete steps. it looks like a patchwork/half done update of a kitchen; new fridge, new stove, a couple new lights, old everything else...

so unfortunately the changes don't look good, they look odd as long as the "cavernous" old is still there. A recruit would see the new and then see the old and see what I'm seeing... a facility without an identity.

Some stadiums have done a good job marrying the past with the present. Problem is, that story is nice when your present is equal to or better than your past. In rice's case, their past is better than their present, and so that's not a charming story to recruits. The stadium says "we used to matter, we don't anymore".
Expand ...
You never know. SMU was DOA and then went from SWC to WAC to CUSA to The American to the ACC
Rice went from SWC to WAC to CUSA to The American. It's up to Rice how far they want to take their football program. They could easily continue to renovate or build a smaller brand new stadium with pocket change. It seems like they could remove and rebuild the upper bleachers to make it smaller and more modern.

Very out there but maybe we'll eventually see the Magnolia conference, Ivy with FBS Football
Duke, Wake, SMU, Stanford, Rice, Tulane, Army, Navy, Vandy, Northwestern . . .

"Updated Concessions
In addition to our grab and go concessions options, we are adding a brand new lineup of domestic beers with reduced pricing, as well as premium mixed drinks and cocktails from our new partners, including Live Oak Vodka, Higgins Boat Rum, Standard Proof Whiskey, Tequila Corrido and Civetta Canned Wines."

riceowls.com

What's New at Rice Stadium in 2025? - Rice University Athletics

An upgraded fan experience awaits Rice fans this season
riceowls.com riceowls.com
 
Kolumbo said:
You never know. SMU was DOA and then went from SWC to WAC to CUSA to The American to the ACC
Rice went from SWC to WAC to CUSA to The American. It's up to Rice how far they want to take their football program. They could easily continue to renovate or build a smaller brand new stadium with pocket change. It seems like they could remove and rebuild the upper bleachers to make it smaller and more modern.

Very out there but maybe we'll eventually see the Magnolia conference, Ivy with FBS Football
Duke, Wake, SMU, Stanford, Rice, Tulane, Army, Navy, Vandy, Northwestern . . .

"Updated Concessions
In addition to our grab and go concessions options, we are adding a brand new lineup of domestic beers with reduced pricing, as well as premium mixed drinks and cocktails from our new partners, including Live Oak Vodka, Higgins Boat Rum, Standard Proof Whiskey, Tequila Corrido and Civetta Canned Wines."

riceowls.com

What's New at Rice Stadium in 2025? - Rice University Athletics

An upgraded fan experience awaits Rice fans this season
riceowls.com riceowls.com
Expand ...


Rice has no history of success to point at. They have always been doormat’s doormat.
 
Kolumbo said:
You never know. SMU was DOA and then went from SWC to WAC to CUSA to The American to the ACC
Rice went from SWC to WAC to CUSA to The American. It's up to Rice how far they want to take their football program. They could easily continue to renovate or build a smaller brand new stadium with pocket change. It seems like they could remove and rebuild the upper bleachers to make it smaller and more modern.

Very out there but maybe we'll eventually see the Magnolia conference, Ivy with FBS Football
Duke, Wake, SMU, Stanford, Rice, Tulane, Army, Navy, Vandy, Northwestern . . .

"Updated Concessions
In addition to our grab and go concessions options, we are adding a brand new lineup of domestic beers with reduced pricing, as well as premium mixed drinks and cocktails from our new partners, including Live Oak Vodka, Higgins Boat Rum, Standard Proof Whiskey, Tequila Corrido and Civetta Canned Wines."

riceowls.com

What's New at Rice Stadium in 2025? - Rice University Athletics

An upgraded fan experience awaits Rice fans this season
riceowls.com riceowls.com
Expand ...
great comment, thx Kolumbo.

1) it's true, you never know.
But i personally don't see it happening. Rice reminds me of a FBS version of an NYU or Johns Hopkins - these schools have athletics and "all the money in the world" ($6B and $13B endowment respectively), but simply do not see athletics as a priority to toss real cash toward. JHU could have made it to the B1G long back before this current CR era, if they'd elevated fully to D1, and been another northwestern; they are already in B1G for lacrosse. But, they know who they are and have repeatedly refused to put real money there. It's about medicine and research; that's where the bread is buttered. Rice sees these institutions as their peers, and I think they've decided to pursue closer to that model, than a vandy/northwestern model. why spend the money just to be OK? we gain nothing from that, so just put that toward our moneymakers (academics) and just have athletics for the sake of it. Rice Baseball is a thing, otherwise who cares... Just my opinion, maybe they wake up and decide they want to get a slice of the Houston sports scene - but again, why? look at UHouston, they're fighting for their lives to be UT Austin's replacement in Big12 (a fool's errand), and I don't really see them making too much dent in the overall city's sports scene.

Rice is IN texas, but IMO they're not a "Texas" school, if you catch my drift.

2) magnolia conference is a beautiful vision - in another life I'd have loved to see an FBS ivy, or perhaps a "patriot league" - top schools with heavy research & prestige, banding together to compete based on those similar values (dont overspend on athletics, but still do it, and maybe get the occasional representative in the CFP) --- indeed it's an out-there proposition. Rice would fit in perfectly with cal/stanford/northwestern/vandy, etc.
 
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Rice opted to join The American so I think football is a priority, and athletics is the front porch, as they say. Free tuition if your family makes under $140k. Not sure how this compares to other elite institutions.

"Interest in Rice has reached an all-time high, driven partly by The Rice Investment, which offers full-tuition scholarships to students from families earning under $140,000, and at least half-tuition for those earning between $140,000 and $200,000. Students from families earning less than $75,000 receive full coverage for tuition, fees and living expenses."

 
Rice hasn't been very good in football since Homer Rice (coach, no relation to family the school is named after) and Tommy Kramer left for the NFL in the late 1970's.

They are a very highly regarded academic school with a very small (about 4,600) undergraduate student body, which makes fielding a competitive football program extremely challenging.

They are however located in Texas so football is important. As they have a longer competitive history than both Houston and Texas Tech, they likely won't be willing to give up on the idea of one day becoming competitive again. As JFK said in his inaugural address "Why does Rice compete with Texas? Not because it's easy, but because it's hard".

I highly doubt they'll ever end up higher than in the AAC, but they have enough similarities to schools like Tulane and Tulsa that they can find a way to be satisfied with their fate.
 
FfldCntyFan said:
As JFK said in his inaugural address "Why does Rice compete with Texas? Not because it's easy, but because it's hard".
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Is THAT what that speech was about???
who knew that the fate of the free/capitalist world was in the hands of Rice University football...
 
businesslawyer said:
Are we in the same universe? Please explain how the AAC killed Cincy? Or UCF? Or Houston? For that matter, how did it kill Navy? We made bad hires, sucked, and fans walked away. Other programs kept trying and maintained or improved their positions.
Expand ...
And in the present moment they have 2 top 25 teams with Navy and Tulane also receiving votes.

I get that people are bitter but the idea that AAC is a program killer is laughable.
 
Rice football hasn’t been good since 1950 or so, but their baseball program was UConn basketball-level good for about two decades. We should be blessed to have Dan Hurley running our basketball program because what’s happened to Rice baseball after Wayne Graham retired is just brutal.
 

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