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Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard to Leave Owls this Summer

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Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard is moving on to private business, ending a decade-long tenure at the helm of the Owls’ athletic department.

In a statement from president Reginald DesRoches, Rice Athletics announced that athletic director Joe Karlgaard will conclude his time at Rice at the end of July. Effective August 1, Karlgaard will become the CEO of GSV Summit LLC, leaving the world of collegiate athletics for the time being.

Rice will “soon be launching a national search for our new athletics director” and an updated is expected on that front “in the next month.”

From Karlgaard:

“I’m very fortunate to have worked with so many wonderful student-athletes, coaches, staff, faculty, and supporters over these past ten years. Rice is a special place, and I’m grateful for all those who pour their hearts and souls into making this university great.”

Read the full statement here.

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What’s next? Joe Karlgaard talks Rice Football, Mike Bloomgren and the future

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Rice Athletic director Joe Karlgaard sat down with The Roost to discuss Mike Bloomgren, the 2021 Rice football season and the future of the Owls’ program.

It’s almost impossible to distill the 2021 Rice football season down to a single storyline, topic or number. For better or worse, the year was more complicated and unpredictable than many of the Owls’ faithful would have wished. The program found itself at a 4-8 record after the dust settled, prompting questions and a very real amount of soul searching.

What happened to a team that had bowl aspirations four months prior? And deeper still, will this team find its way again? Is Mike Bloomgren the right man for Rice football moving forward, and if so, why?

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There will be a much-too-long offseason to address those concerns. But before we get too far removed from the campaign in question, some immediate answers seemed prudent.

In an effort to get a clear snapshot of where the program is right now and why Rice fans should have faith in its future, I spent an hour with Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard. What follows are some notes from our conversation, hopefully shedding some light on the program and digging into some of the hard questions it is understandably facing after an underwhelming season.

Hear from Karlgaard below, and stay tuned to The Roost for important recruiting updates regarding the Early Signing Period, postseason superlatives and more.

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Rice Football 2021: Spring Practice Week 3 Notebook

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Rice football has one scrimmage in the books and continues to work. Here are some growing pains and high points from Week 3 of spring ball.

Overall, Rice Football head coach Mike Bloomgren was optimistic following the first scrimmage of the spring. “I look at our team in totality and we are better in terms of our knowledge of the system,” he said. “There’s less missed assignments everywhere on the field. And we move faster to and from the ball.”

That progress has come with some highs and a few lows. This team is, as Bloomgren dubbed it, “an exciting work in progress.”

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For those that might have missed it, you can check out the initial depth chart reactions as well as the Week 1 and Week 2 practice notebooks. Not subscribed? The Roost will have you covered every step of the way this spring and beyond. Subscribers get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features. Subscribe on Patreon and get access to it all today.

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Conference USA: Scheduling changes coming soon

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Conference USA athletics scheduling changes are on their way with modifications to the upcoming fall sports calendar expected soon.

The extended offseason has been a busy one for Conference USA and its member institutions and conversations among league officials and athletic directors about the structure of future schedules have been at the forefront.

“I don’t think there’s any question that our geographic stretch is a challenge for us,” Rice Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard said. “Pre-pandemic it was something that we made work. I think post-pandemic it’s something that we are really looking closely at.”

Ideas have been tossed around from sources inside and outside of Conference USA. Basketball is expected to end bonus play and could consider moving to a divisional structure to reduce travel. Olympics sports, in particular, are taking a hard look at more regionalized scheduling.

Administrators are also keeping an eye on what’s happening across the nation. The MAC cut postseason tournaments in several sports. Those changes reflect the historical Ivy League model, which traditionally awarded regular-season champions with any relevant postseason bids.

What will those changes look like? Karlgaard said the scope was far-reaching. “All of that is on the table for us to evaluate going forward.”

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This is not smoke and mirrors. Karlgaard has already been in discussion with Athletic Directors at schools in close geographic proximity. “They’re all interested [in regionalized scheduling],” he said. “What form and shape that takes, I think, is going to take longer for us to hash out.”

Long term scheduling adjustments will take time to play out, but changes to the upcoming seasons are imminent. Karlgaard indicated that he expects Conference USA to address fall scheduling as soon as this week, particularly with athletes now allowed to return to campus at several member schools. Rice had not yet set a timetable for the return of their own student-athletes.

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