Rice Owls

The Rice Owls are the sports teams that represent Rice University in Houston. The name "Rice Owls" comes from the owls shown on Rice University's crest. Rice University competes in NCAA Division I athletics, which is the highest level of college sports in the United States.

Rice University is part of the American Conference. They have teams for eight men’s sports and eight women’s sports that are approved by the NCAA. In the past, Rice was part of the Southwest Conference, but that group broke up in 1996. After that, Rice joined the Western Athletic Conference and later Conference USA. In 2023, Rice joined the American Athletic Conference.

Rice University is one of the smallest schools in NCAA Division I FBS football. It has just a little more students than the University of Tulsa and the three FBS United States service academies. One of Rice’s big rival teams is the crosstown Houston Cougars.

Conference affiliations

Rice University’s sports teams, called the Rice Owls, compete in the NCAA. Over the years, they have been part of different conferences. They were in the Southwest Conference from 1915 to 1996, then the Western Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2005, followed by Conference USA from 2005 to 2023. Currently, they are part of the American Conference since 2023.

Sports sponsored

Baseball

The Rice baseball team is one of the best in the school and the NCAA. They have won 20 conference championships in a row since 1996. The team won the College World Series in 2003 and came third in 2006 and 2007. Rice played in the NCAA tournament for 23 years straight from 1995 to 2017. They have played at Reckling Park on campus since 2000.

Football

The Owls play football at Rice Stadium on campus. This stadium was where John F. Kennedy gave a famous speech in 1962 about sending a man to the moon. Rice Stadium opened in 1950 and holds 47,000 people for football games.

Rice started playing football in 1914. For many years, they were very successful. In 2006, they played in a bowl game for the first time since 1961. In 2013, they won their first football conference championship since 1957.

The Rice Owls now play in the American Conference.

Men's basketball

Rice's men's basketball teams won 10 conference titles in the past. Recently, a player named Morris Almond was picked to play in the NBA in 2007.

Women's basketball

The Rice women's basketball team has done very well recently. They won the Women's National Invitation Tournament and were in the NCAA tournament in 2019.

Women's sports

Rice's women's sports teams have been very successful. In some years, their volleyball, soccer, and basketball teams all made it to the NCAA tournaments.

Women's swimming & diving

Rice started women's swimming and diving in 1975. The team sent swimmers to the NCAA championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In January 2024, Rice announced they will bring back women's diving for the 2024–25 school year.

Men's tennis

Rice had a player who won the NCAA doubles championship in 1947. The team was also second in the NCAA men's tennis championship in 1968 and 1970.

Women's golf

Rice will start a women's golf team in the 2026–27 school year thanks to a big donation.

Notable non-varsity sports

Rugby

The Rice Rugby Football Club started in 1968 and plays in college rugby competitions. They won their conference in 2013 and have had many players go on to play for the U.S. national team.

Ultimate

Rice has men's and women's ultimate teams. The women's team, Torque, won national championships in 2014 and 2015.

Traditions

Rice University's sports teams, called the Rice Owls, have fun traditions. The Marching Owl Band, or "MOB," plays funny skits and routines instead of just marching in lines. Rice's mascot is Sammy the Owl. In the past, the school kept live owls on campus, but they don’t do that anymore. Rice also has cheerleaders and a dance team that perform at games.

Facilities

The Rice Owls play their home games in special buildings made just for their sports. These places help the team practice and compete against other colleges.