Part 7/9:
Unlike Temple and USF, the Rice Owls’ journey has been characterized not by a rise and fall, but rather an enduring struggle. They were once competitive in the Southwest Conference and achieved notable success before the conference dissolved in the mid-1990s. With schools like Houston and SMU who pursued greener pastures, Rice found itself relegated to the Western Athletic Conference, followed by a stint in Conference USA.
Despite minor successes, including a couple of seasons with double-digit wins, Rice has struggled to maintain competitiveness in any conference they’ve joined. Academic prestige has kept them afloat, and though they now compete in the American Conference, opportunities to reclaim former glory have dwindled.