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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2025

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2025 was filled with highs and lows for Rice Athletics. The Roost picked out 10 moments that stood out the most along the way.

10. Rice Football defeats Louisiana in Scott Abell’s debut

On the road as double-digit underdogs against a team that played for a conference championship the season prior, Abell’s track record of overcoming tall odds got off to a tremendous start. The new-look offense did just enough as the defense slammed the door to secure a program-defining debut win in a season in which every victory mattered.

9. Rice Women’s Basketball upsets 1-Seed UTSA in Conference Tournament

These Owls were made for March, it seems. Following a disappointing regular season in which the program had to settle for the No. 9 Seed, Rice knocked off top-seeded UTSA in the quarterfinals on their way to a second consecutive championship game appearance.

8. Rice Soccer finishes runner-up in American Conference Tournament

Sticking with the theme of postseason runs, Rice soccer nearly capped off a strong 10-4-6 season with an NCAA Tournament berth, but fell just short in the championship game, dropping a 1-0 decision to Rice. Still, a penalty kick win over South Florida in the semifinals proved thrilling.

7. Rice Baseball hires David Pierce midseason

In an unprecedented move, Rice fired head coach Jose Cruz Jr. and hired David Pierce, all in the matter of a few weeks. Pierce got right to work, starting midseason and guiding the Owls to a .500 finish over his last 20 games of the season — Rice had a .190 winning percentage before he arrived.

6. Rice Football beats UConn in 20T

The theory entering the year was that the uniqueness of the gun option system would give Rice football an element of surprise at least once, leading to an upset of a team oddsmakers projected to be much better than the Owls on paper. It turns out that came against a surprising nine-win UConn team. Rice rallied from a modest halftime deficit to stun the Huskies with a walk-off touchdown by Quinton Jackson in double overtime.

5. Rice Men’s Tennis takes home two titles

The men’s tennis program hit an upswing this year, securing multiple titles along the way. The team won the American Conference Championship as a team, defeating host (and No. 2 Seed) Memphis. They also took the doubles crown with the tandem of Petro Kuzmenok and Santiago Navarro defeating No. 2 Seed Charlotte’s top pair in the title match.

4. Rice Swimming and Diving Conf. Champ.

A year ago, Rice added diving to its portfolio of NCAA sponsored sports. The thinking at the time was that the Owls could be title contenders if they played with the full allotment of resources permitted. Fast-forward to 2025 and Rice did indeed win it all, clinching a conference championship in Swimming and Diving for the first time since 2013-2014.

3. Rice Volleyball wins 17 in a row enroute to NCAA Tournament

It took a few weeks to get going as the Owls battled it out with a vigorous non-conference schedule, but once conference play arrived, Rice volleyball was hard to beat. The Owls won 17 consecutive matches, clinching an American Conference Tournament Championship and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament where they would eventually lose to Florida.

2. Rice Football goes bowling

As recently as 24 hours before selection day, the odds of Rice football going bowling seemed slim. Then Kansas State opted out that Sunday morning and Rice football was Armed Forces Bowl bound. Abell made it clear he doesn’t want to get in on APR again, but he’s happy for the extra opportunity for his program and the Owls are heading to Fort Worth with the intention of bringing home a trophy.

1. Gateway Project announced

The announcement of The Gateway Project, a transformative commitment by Rice University to its football program and its athletic institutions made waves on a national scale. The project, scheduled to be completed prior to the 2028 season, will see Rice Stadium fully renovated and a new gateway to Rice Village installed.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Cutting this down to 10 was challenging. Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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Toot, Toot: A New Tradition for Rice Athletics

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Rice Athletics isn’t waiting for a new stadium to introduce new sports traditions. A real-life train horn is the latest addition to the Owls’ game day experience.

Scott Abell has always been the kind of guy who strives to get others involved. He’s a program builder, utilizing what he calls his WE values (Win Everything, Win Everywhere, With Everyone) to generate buy-in with his players and staff. But he hasn’t stopped there. Abell has also worked to add touchpoints with the fanbase everywhere he’s gone. From attending pep rallies to driving around campus in a golf cart, he wants to be present.

In an effort to strength that bond with the fans and generate that engagement, Abell introduced a train horn sound effect while he was at Washington and Lee. The program would play the sound through the stadium loudspeakers on scoring plays, rallying up the crowd with its deafening blast.

Once it started, it stuck. It followed him to Davidson, and from there, Abell had hopes of bringing that tradition to South Main.

“Some people get into a turnover chain, whatever. This is kind of my thing,” Abell said. “Some people have the cannons they shoot off when they score. I was looking for something that we could have that when people came to our place, they’d be like, “God, I hate that horn. We’ve now found that.”

Abell’s initial request was met with some trepidation. Rice Stadium is on the older side as far as facilities go and the sound system wasn’t as robust as some within the Rice Athletic Department might have hoped. Playing the noise over the loudspeakers just wouldn’t have the same effect, they posited.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Rather than settle for good-enough. Rice began exploring. Assistant Athletic Director of Broadcast Services Wayne Gibson, who oversees the tech behind Rice gameday experiences began to ask around. He was met with one rather curious idea. What about getting an actual train horn?

With that, Gibson was off. He reached out to some contacts and before long has acquired a five-bell model salvage from a real-life locomotive. That horn, which is a fully functional device that was formerly mounted to the train engine, was put onto a cart for portability. A new compressor and trigger system was configured, enabling the horn to blow on demand. All that was left was to test it out.

The newly created Rice Athletics train horn sits on a cart so that it can be wheeled around to various sporting events.

Rice debuted the horn for the first time against Houston. It didn’t take long for the limitations to touchdown toots to expand to big offensive plays, turnovers, and even to more rote third down plays, geared toward firing up the crowd. Just a few weeks in, the horn has embedded itself within the gameday experience.

The horn’s impact on campus won’t stop with football. The cart has already been rolled over to soccer games, blaring it’s thunderous note when the Owls score goals. Plans are also underway to utilize the new toy at baseball games and position it in the outfield, although how frequently it gets used remains under discussion.

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Rice University Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

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On Thursday, Rice University formally announced The Gateway Project, a bold renovation strategy for Rice Stadium and the west side of campus.

Rumors of a reenvisioned Rice Stadium have been echoed throughout South Main for years. Renderings shared in murmurs of what could be. On Thursday afternoon in the West parking lot, behind a practice bubble that will soon be folding in for good, those aspirations crystallized and shovels broke ground. A new page had been turned for Rice University and a bold new vision began to take shape.

Several people stood at a podium erected just in front of Greenbriar Drive and made their remarks, but it was the Chairman of the Rice Board of Directors Robert Ladd who really drove the reality home.

“The Gateway Project is a generational investment in the growth and vitality of our university,” he said. “It marks a bold step forward in aligning the university’s infrastructure, student life, athletics and community engagement strategies, positioning us to meet the demands of both our and Houston’s future.”

The Gateway Project is the overarching strategy Rice announced to create a “new gateway to campus” by extending Amherst Avenue in Rice Village two blocks east until it meets campus and joins a vibrant, walkable corridor leading to a full renovated, modernized Rice Stadium.

More: Undersized and Undeterred – Quinton Jackson’s Journey to Rice Football Star

The $120 million initiative will also include a new practice pavilion, replacing the current practice bubble and clearing space for a mixed-use development featuring “retail, multi-family housing, restaurants and a grocery store, with a public greenspace for community events and performances.”

Rice Athletics Director Tommy McClelland was emphatic when it came to exclaiming the significance of this project and it’s future impact on Rice:

“This project represents a tangible and public declaration of our university’s commitment to the future of athletics,” he said. “And that declaration is this: Rice is serious and intentional about athletics. We are investing in a future in which our programs can and will compete at the highest levels athletically and academically. We are creating a home that will be a source of pride for Rice and for the city of Houston.”

The advancement seeks to thread the needle between preserving the historicity of one of the city’s most famous landmarks, Rice Stadium, while simultaneously making it appealing and functional for the days ahead.

In McClelland’s worse, this endeavor seeks to build a stadium “that honors the past but looks boldly to the future.”

“This is not just a renovation,” he declared. “This is a statement of who we are and where we are going. In the spirit of John F. Kennedy, today at Rice University, we choose to move forward. We choose to invest. We chose to compete and, most importantly, we choose to win. This is the next great chapter of Rice University.”

The specifics

Listed key stadium improvements include:

  • On the east side, about two-thirds of the upper deck will be removed to improve sightlines and create a more intimate atmosphere.
  • A 360-degree concourse will allow fans to move freely around the stadium.
  • Two 4,000-square-foot restroom and concession buildings will be added at the stadium’s southwest and northwest corners.
  • A new kitchen and commissary will allow staff to prepare high-quality food on site, enhancing the fan experience.
  • The southwest entry plaza will reinforce the “stadium in a park” concept and connect to a landscaped walkway leading to Rice Village.

Stadium capacity will be reduced to roughly 30,000 in a decision described as a “right-sized design” which McClelland viewed as an opportunity to have “best fan experience in the country.”

More: Listen to Latest Rice Athletics News and Analysis on The Roost Podcast

“Because of the size, we can say bold things,” McClelland said, painting the stadium and surrounding area is a gathering place for the community. He mentioned the desire to use the space to host concerts and that the stadium itself would be expanded so that a FIFA regulated soccer pitch would be viable on the grounds, hopefully providing the University with the opportunity to host international soccer matches.

Construction is expected to begin following the 2026 Rice Football season and continue throughout 2027 before being completed prior to the opening of the 2028 season. The team would play at the stadium in 2027 in the midst of the construction, similar to projects that have taken place at Vanderbilt and West Point, in recent years.

Multiple Rice officials also confirmed to The Roost that conversations were had in advance specifically to assure the new athletics renovations would not interfere with the annual Beer Bike tradition, currently held in the Greenbriar lot and that the athletic department would not force the event to relocate.

More From McClelland

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the key objectives of this project: a right-sized stadium, more premium seating and a connection to Rice Village

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T20:59:33.873Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland details the timeline of construction, expected to be completed by the start of the 2028 season. Construction will commence after the 2026 season and the Owls will play in the stadium during the renovations in 2027.

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:04:21.802Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the aspirations for this project to create a "gathering in place" on campus:"We're trying to create the place that people want to be on Saturdays."

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:08:21.260Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland says the goal is to make a multi-use facility capable of hosting concerts and even potential international soccer events. Current sidelines are being widened to make the stadium FIFA compliant.

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:10:30.643Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the urgency of this project in light of the current college sports landscape:"We have to improve our athletic reputation and today marks the beginning of that."

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:17:31.090Z

Additional details are available via the university’s release as well as a dedicated website for the project.

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What’s Next: Rice Athletics and the House Settlement

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The House Settlement sent shockwaves through college sports. This month’s subscriber Q&A focuses on what it means for Rice Athletics.

College sports won’t be the same as they once were following the House Settlement earlier this summer, which introduces the first organized attempts at direct payments to college athletes. Every university is approaching the changes differently. What is Rice Athletics doing? That overarching curiosity is the foundation for this month’s subscriber Q&A.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

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Q: Is this good news or bad news for the future of Rice Athletics?

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Grab Bag: What’s going on around Rice Athletics? May 2024 Q&A

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Rather than drill down on one topic, subscribers had a variety of questions this month touching all areas of Rice Athletics. We hit on them all.

A lot is going on around Rice Athletics right as the academic year winds down. This mailbag touches on a host of topics ranging from the state of college sports, possible Rice Athletics sports additions, existing sports and more.

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Q: What’s happening with upgrading Rice Stadium?

A: Finding a solution for the current stadium situation was one of the first things athletic director Tommy McClelland mentioned when he was hired and while proposed solutions haven’t been communicated yet… hang tight. The wheels are turning and progress is being made on that front. When the time comes to share those next steps, I think most Rice fans will be excited about the direction the administration wants to head with the stadium.

Q: Any chance for men’s soccer?

A: In short, probably not. Rice had now added two women’s programs, diving and golf, but both of those were logistical slam dunks. Now that the Owls are adding the sport, every D1 program in the state has women’s golf and bolstering the swimming program with diving was an obvious next step. When it comes to a brand new program with a larger scholarship base, I’d look towards the possibility of another women’s program, but a decision like that probably isn’t imminent.

Q: What’s going on with women’s soccer? The last two years have been disappointing. Is Brian Lee the right guy for the job?

A: Lee made noise when he arrived on campus and took Rice soccer to the Sweet 16, a first in program history. They were undefeated in conference play in 2022 before the aforementioned rough 2023 campaign in which they went 3-13-2. McClelland has demonstrated he’s not averse to making a change if needed, but I’d find it hard to believe there was imminent pressure on Lee or the program given what they’ve accomplished so far.

As far as recent news, Rice has the No. 32 recruiting class in the country coming to campus. Those reinforcements should be a huge boost to the program.

Q: Where does Rice fit in the future of college sports?

A: Rice obviously doesn’t have the resources of some of the biggest national brands that are making headlines. And while that’s true, it’s equally apparent Rice is committing itself to being competitive in collegiate sports for the long haul. What that will look like in two years, five years, ten years? Nobody can be certain.

The most recent NCAA House case settlement has cast further uncertainty around what that future world will include, but it won’t spell the end of college sports, far from it. Things are going to look different. Athletes are going to get compensated in ways that were unfathomable even a few years ago. But college sports aren’t going anywhere and Rice will continue to participate.

Consider this an educated guess. Rice Athletics will strive to maintain its spot in the highest level of competition available to them and will spend commensurate amounts alongside its peers to compete for championships. I don’t envision a scenario where the Owls voluntarily “give up” on that aspiration because conditions become too challenging or vary too far from the traditional model of collegiate athletics that existed in the pre-NIL world.



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