Rice Owls football

NCAAFootballSchool
TeamName = Rice Owls
CurrentSeason = 2008 Rice Owls football team
FirstYear = 1912


ImageSize = 144 px
Helmet =
ImageSize2 = 160 px
AthlDirectorDisp = Chris DelConte
AthlDirectorLink = Chris DelConte
HeadCoachDisplay = David Bailiff
HeadCoachLink = David Bailiff
HeadCoachYear = 2nd
HCWins = 4
HCLosses = 9
HCTies = 0
Stadium = Rice Stadium
StadiumBuilt = 1950
StadCapacity = 47,000
StadSurface = FieldTurf
Location = Houston, Texas, USA
League = NCAA Division I
ConferenceDisplay= Conference USA
ConferenceLink = Conference USA
ConfDivision = West
PastAffiliations = Southwest
Western Athletic
ATWins = 415
ATLosses = 537
ATTies = 32
ATPercentage = .421
BowlWins = 4
BowlLosses = 4
BowlTies = 0
ConfTitles = 7 SWC: 1934, 1937, 1946*, 1949, 1953*, 1957, 1994
(* denotes shared)
AllAmericans = 6
Color1 = Blue
Color1Hex = 000080
Color2 = Gray
Color2Hex = A9A9A9
FightSong = Rice Fight Song
MascotDisplay = Sammy the Owl
MarchingBand = Marching Owl Band
WebsiteName = www.riceowls.com
WebsiteURL = http://riceowls.cstv.net/

The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games. The program has been historically mediocre. ["The Rice Football Webletter." 08/27/07 Rice University. [http://www.ricefootball.net/indexold07.html Rice Football.] Retrieved on June 16 2008.]

Venue

Rice Stadium was built in 1950, and has been the home of Owls football ever since. It replaced the old Rice Stadium (now Rice Track/Soccer Stadium) to increase seating. Ironically, the seating at the new stadium has since been reduced 47,000 (10,000 greater then that of its predecessor) due to the Houston Oilers moving to Houston, and Rice's lackluster play in the Southwest Conference during the 1960's. Home games in which large crowds are expected are moved to nearby Reliant Stadium due to the poor state of the upper deck at Rice Stadium.

Kennedy Speech

Rice Stadium also hosted a speech by John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1962. In it, he used the Rice football team to challenge America to send a man to the moon.

:"But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

Coaching history

References

C-USA football