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Official: Rice Athletics to join AAC on July 1, 2023

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UPDATE: On Wednesday, June 15 Rice officially announced it will join the AAC on July 1, 2023.

— Friday, June 10 —

The AAC announced the formal exit of Houston, Cincinnati and UCF opening the door for Rice Athletics to move into the conference in 2023.

The AAC brought college football realignment back to the forefront of the national narrative on Friday morning when they announced Houston, Cincinnati and UCF would be leaving the conference to join the Big XII on July 1, 2023. That move directly impacts Rice, enabling the Owls to move into those vacated seats in the AAC soon.

So, what’s next?

Rice Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard released this statement on Friday afternoon:

“The agreement reached between the American Athletic Conference and its three departing members allows us to formally begin the process of joining the American in the near future. We remain proud members of Conference USA for the 2022-23 academic year, and anticipate releasing more information on our transition to the American in the near future.”

While that statement doesn’t explicitly mention any transition dates, sources confirm to The Roost the intention remains for Rice to join the AAC in 2023, following the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year which Karlgaard mentions in the release above.

Roost Pod: AAC introductions with Fear The Wave

That timeline is further corroborated by several of the fellow soon-to-be-former Conference USA members which will be making the move with the Owls. Charlotte came out almost immediately following the news, issuing a declaration of their intent to join the AAC in 2023.

FAU followed suit as did UTSA. Like Rice, North Texas and UAB and each released more general statements of their intent to make the move “soon”. Per Brett McMurphy, each of the six schools must inform Conference USA of their intention to leave for the AAC by Wednesday, June 15.

The next steps seem like a formality at this point, but it remains good news for Rice, regardless. This week Rice will formalize its intention to leave Conference USA and join the American.

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Conference USA Football: Summer Transfer Portal Pickups

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Summer hasn’t slowed the Transfer Portal and several Conference USA Football programs have benefited from new additions over the past few weeks.

Players have come and gone this offseason with each and every Conference USA football program feeling the good and the bad enacted upon it by the Transfer Portal. Here are three new additions within the Conference over the course of the last few weeks who could play meaningful roles on the field this season.

North Texas – QB Grant Gunnell (Memphis)

The starter at Arizona in 2019, Gunnell transferred to Memphis last year but missed the 2021 season with a leg injury. Now healthy, Gunnell opted for the portal where he received a good amount of interest before landing in Denton with the Mean Green.

Gunnell threw for 1,864 yards in 12 appearances with Arizona, tossing 15 touchdowns with just three interceptions. A highly sought-after recruit coming out of high school, Gunnell will have a legitimate chance to win the starting job at North Texas this season and could be extremely productive in Seth Littrell’s system.

UTSA – RB Trelon Smith (Arkansas)

With no Sincere McCormick lining up in the backfield in San Antonio, it always seemed plausible UTSA would add another running back to the fold, but Trelon Smith isn’t just another body to pad the depth chart.

A former Cy Ridge product and Arkansas transfer Smith led the Razorbacks’ running backs in carries and yards in each of the past two seasons, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and scoring 10 touchdowns. Smith will get plenty of work with the Roadrunners this season and could find his way into contention for a few Conference USA football offensive awards.

Rice – OL John Hughes (West Virginia)

A former starter at West Virginia, Hughes will compete for a starting job in Houston among a front five that ended spring on a high note. Rice started and finished spring with the same starting five and didn’t appear to be in the market for a proven transfer until now.

The Owls’ feelings on the matter clearly changed when someone with Hughes’ resume became available this late in the cycle. Hughes will join wide receiver Isaiah Esdale, a former WVU teammate, at Rice this coming season.

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Rice Baseball: 2022 MiLB Owls early-June update

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While several Rice Baseball alums are producing at the highest level, others are working their way up the ladder. Here’s the latest on the MiLB Owls.

Triple-A

Jon Duplantier (Dodgers) has made five appearances with the Dodgers’ AAA affiliate in Oklahoma City this season, racking up 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings with a 4.10 ERA. That’s his lowest ERA in the minors since 2018 when he spent most of the season at the AA when he was in the Diamondbacks’ organization.

Tristan Gray (Rays) had a red-hot month of May. After starting the season slowly, he slashed .269/.329/.526 last month. He closed the month with hits in 15 of 17 games. For the season, Gray is hitting .193 through 49 games.

Ford Proctor (Rays) has played alongside Gray this season and although he’s primarily served as the team’s catcher, he’s also made appearances at second base, third base and shortstop. He’s fielding at a .970 while behind the plate and hitting .214 when it’s his turn in the batter’s box.

Double-A

Matt Canterino (Twins) has been superb this season, holding opposing batters to a .142 batting average with a 1.14 WHIP in 11 appearances. His 1.83 ERA is the highest of his career, which speaks to how impressive his first three seasons in the minors has been so far.

Dane Myers (Tigers) spent the month of May shuttling back and forth between AA and AAA, ending up back at the AA level on May 31. He had five at bats while he was up, collecting one hit with two strikeouts. His movement back and forth limited him to five games at AA. He’s averaging .265 with a .778 OPS across all levels this season.

More on Rice Baseball: Latest from the MLB Owls

Ricky Salinas (Reds) worked primarily as a starter in previous seasons, but he’s worked exclusively out of the bullpen this year. He owns a 4.91 ERA over 13 appearances with 31 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in an outing since May 6.

Single-A

Trei Cruz (Tigers, High-A) spent last season entirely at shortstop but has moved around the diamond this year. He’s had starts at shortstop, second base, third base and designated hitter this season. At the plate, he’s hitting .205 with a .694 OPS.

Evan Kravetz (Reds, High-A) has made 10 appearances this season where he’s been particularly effective at home. He owns a 2.37 ERA in six home games where he’s struck out 28 batters while surrendering just 11 hits. He owns a collective 4.40 ERA on the season as a whole with 42 strikeouts in 28.2 innings pitched.

News

Addison Moss was released by the Rays on May 24. He was with their High-A affiliated at that time.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls to hire “TikTok Coach” Marco Regalado

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There’s a new director of Rice Football Recruiting in town. The Owls are expected to hire “TikTok Coach” Marco Regalado for the position soon.

First reported by Chris Vannini of The Athletic, Rice football recruiting has a new front man. The Owls are set to hire Marco Regalado, known for his viral videos as the “TikTok Coach”, as their Director of Player Personnel & Recruiting Innovation.

Two years ago, Regalado was an assistant high school football coach in Alamo, Texas when he downloaded TikTok and made his first video and started drawing views.

From there he had a stint with V.R. Eaton High School in Haslet, Texas before being hired as a recruiting assistant by now-former Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich and ascending to Director of Recruiting under new head coach Jake Dickert. Now he’s headed to South Main.

For those not on TikTok or otherwise less linked to social media, Regalado’s climb has gone far beyond the bounds of social media. He was featured on The Athletic last spring in a piece that includes several of his earlier videos. He’s also active on Twitter, posting this hint shortly after the news went public of his imminent hiring:

Regalado will round out a revamped recruiting staff which includes Lee Menefee, Director of Recruiting Ops/High School Relations, and Jessica Morrey, Director of On-Campus Recruiting. When he arrives, Regalado will take over a current class that has eight commitments, the most recent of which came this week from MacArthur corner AJ Stephens.

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Rice Football Recruiting: CB AJ Stephens commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class picked up a difference-maker on the outside. Corner back AJ Stephens has committed to the Owls.

For the second time in the past month, the 2023 Rice football recruiting class has added a playmaker in the secondary. MacArthur cornerback AJ Stephens has committed to the Owls. Stephens joins fellow Texas High School product Jamarion Clark (South Oak Cliff), who committed to Rice in mid-May as a tandem of cover men for the future.

Stephens, a versatile athlete, was also a star on his basketball team where he excelled on the defensive end of the court along with his shooting prowess. That athleticism and ability to lock down his man translates to the gridiron as well where Stephens says he prides himself on “being able to come down and make tackles and cover the best receiver on the other team.”

Rice was the first program to offer Stephens back in May. Since then, he also picked up an offer from Prairie View A&M before opting to make his pledge to the Owls. Stephens cited the facilities and the staff as driving reasons for his decision. In his eyes, “to also have coaches with NFL experience is amazing because they know how to get me to the next level.”

Stephens elevates the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class up to eight commitments. He and the aforementioned Clark are the only two defensive pledges so far, with the remainder being a quintet of offensive lineman and quarterback Chase Jenkins.

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Rice seeks after players with size and physicality for its defensive scheme. They also need corners who are comfortable on an island. Stephens’ film showcases those characteristics extremely well. He’s excellent in coverage and can lean forward and deliver a blow when he picks up a full head of steam. He’ll fit in well at South Main.

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