Dear Rice Community,
With the fall semester about to begin, cooler temperatures are on the horizon and college sports are making their return.
The Rice Owls will soon kick off the fall season, with the women’s soccer team facing off against Southern Methodist University Aug. 18 and the women’s volleyball team playing the University of Texas at Austin Aug. 20. The Owls’ first football game is Sept. 3 at the University of Southern California and the women’s and men’s cross-country team will host the Rice Invitational Sept. 9.
You can find the schedule for Rice athletic events here.
The Owls athletics program is an integral part of Rice’s culture and has a storied history. Rice began competing in intercollegiate sports when the Rice Institute first opened its doors in 1912 and was a founding member of the Southwest Conference from 1915 until its dissolution at the end of the 1995-96 season.
Since transitioning to Conference USA in 2005, Rice has captured 56 team championships, with 12 of its 16 sports teams winning at least one team title while earning the conference's academic achievement honor 13 times in its first 16 years in the league. Rice Athletics will enter a new chapter in its history on July 1, 2023, when the Owls officially join the American Athletic Conference. The move is an exciting and bold step toward a new chapter in the university’s athletics endeavors.
The athletics program has also proved to be an incubator for student athletes who strive for competitive success and learn lessons in leadership, teamwork and resilience on their path to becoming proud alumni. I salute Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard, our coaches and athletics staff for tireless devotion to our students and the Rice community.
I encourage you to support our student athletes by attending their games, meets and matches; cheering them on in the stands; and giving them a thumbs up when you see them on campus, in class or in your colleges. My wife, Paula, and I plan to attend as many athletic events as we can and look forward to seeing you there.
Let’s pack those stands! Go Owls!
Warm regards,
President Reginald DesRoches