| Rice Owls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Rice University |
| Conference | The American |
| NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
| Athletic director | Tommy McClelland |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Varsity teams | 16 (17 in 2026) |
| Football stadium | Rice Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Tudor Fieldhouse |
| Baseball stadium | Reckling Park |
| Mascot | Sammy the Owl |
| Nickname | Owls |
| Fight song | Rice Fight |
| Colors | Blue and gray[1] |
| Website | riceowls |
 | |
The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Houston's Rice University in college sports. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics. A member of the American Athletic Conference, Rice sponsors teams in eight men's and eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. Rice was a member of the Southwest Conference until its breakup in 1996. Rice then joined the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA, until joining the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023.[2][3] The women's swimming team moved to The American in 2022 after CUSA dropped women's swimming & diving.[4] Rice is the fifth-smallest school competing in NCAA Division I FBS football measured by undergraduate enrollment, just above the University of Tulsa's 2,756 and the three FBS United States service academies's approximate 4,500. Rice's rivals include the cross-town Houston Cougars.
- ^ Rice Athletics Branding Guidelines, Rules, & Regulations (PDF). August 19, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ "American Athletic Conference Announces the Addition of Six Universities" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "American Announces Entrance Agreements With Incoming Members for 2023-24 Season" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ "American Announces Affiliate Members in Men's Soccer and Women's Swimming and Diving" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.