Rice University Owls at Rice Stadium
Houston, Texas, is home to one of the most historic football programs in Conference USA. The Owls play at Rice Stadium, which opened in 1950 and currently seats 47,000 after renovations reduced the capacity from 70,000 in 2006. As the largest stadium in the Houston area at the time, Rice Stadium was chosen over the Astrodome to host Super Bowl VIII in 1974. The football team is coached by Mike Bloomgren, who was previously the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Stanford before joining Rice in 2018.
History of Rice University Owls Football
Rice University first fielded a team in 1912 and quickly became a major player in Texas college football. The Owls won their first two conference championships and the 1938 Cotton Bowl under Jimmy Kitts, and they enjoyed even more success under coach and athletic director Jess Neely, who led Rice to four conference titles, two Cotton Bowl victories and a win in the 1947 Orange Bowl. The most famous moment in Rice history came during the 1954 Cotton Bowl against Alabama, when running back Dicky Moegle (later Maegle) racked up 275 yards in a 28-6 victory over the Tide. As Moegle was running for a score, Alabama halfback Tommy Lewis leapt from the sidelines and tackled Moegle, who was awarded a touchdown. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy asked “why does Rice play Texas?” while at Rice Stadium as part of his “we choose to go to the moon” speech, reflecting the then-competitive nature of the rivalry.
Rice was a proud member of the Southwest Conference until its dissolution in 1995, winning seven SWC titles and losing the final game in conference history against crosstown rival Houston in the Bayou Bucket Battle. Notable players who have suited up for the Rice Owls include linebacker O.J. Brigance, kicker Chris Boswell, and quarterback Tommy Kramer, who started for the Minnesota Vikings throughout the ‘80s. In recent years, the Owls have found success in Conference USA, where they won the 2013 C-USA championship and two divisional championships.
