Ayrton Oneill
Rice University's basketball team, the Rice Owls, has had a varied conference history. The team has played in several conferences over the years, including the Southwest Conference, the Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA, and, most recently, the American Athletic Conference. The Owls have had some notable successes, particularly in the Southwest Conference, where they won multiple conference titles. The women's basketball team has also achieved success, winning the 2021 Women's National Invitation Tournament and the Conference USA regular-season title that same season. Rice University's basketball team has a rich history and a bright future ahead of it in the American Athletic Conference.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the team | Rice Owls |
| University | Rice University |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Division | NCAA Division I |
| Conference | American Athletic Conference |
| Previous conferences | Southwest Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA |
| Home games venue | Tudor Fieldhouse |
| Women's basketball team achievements | 2021 Women's National Invitation Tournament winner, 2019 Conference USA Tournament winner, 2004-05 NCAA tournament appearance |
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What You'll Learn
Rice Owls basketball team history
The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. The Rice Owls men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Rice University. The team is currently classified in the NCAA's Division I, and they compete in the American Athletic Conference.
The Rice Owls have had a long history in basketball, dating back to their first participation in the Southwest Conference in 1914. They remained in this conference until its breakup in 1996, after which they joined the Western Athletic Conference. In 2005, they moved to Conference USA, where they remained until 2023 when they joined their current conference, the American Athletic Conference.
The Owls play their home games in Tudor Fieldhouse, which has been their home court since 1950. Previously known as Rice Gymnasium, it was renamed in honor of Rice alum Bobby Tudor, who led the renovation of the facility with a multimillion-dollar donation in 2008.
The Rice Owls men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, most recently in 1970. They have also participated in five National Invitation Tournaments and three College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournaments. Their women's basketball team has also achieved notable success, winning the 2021 Women's National Invitation Tournament and the Conference USA regular-season title that same season.
Rice University has a rich athletic history and has produced notable athletes across various sports, including basketball. The Rice Owls continue to compete at the highest levels and foster a culture of sportsmanship and excellence.
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Men's and women's teams
The Rice Owls are the intercollegiate sports teams representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. The Rice men's and women's basketball teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and are members of the American Athletic Conference.
Men's Team
The Rice men's basketball team has had a rich history in several conferences. They previously participated in the Southwest Conference from 1914 to 1996, the Western Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2005, and Conference USA from 2005 to 2023. During their time in the Southwest Conference, the Owls men's basketball team won 10 conference titles (1918, 1935*, 1940, 1942*, 1943*, 1944*, 1945, 1949*, 1954*, and 1970; * denotes shared title). The Owls have appeared four times in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, most recently in 1970. Their Tudor Fieldhouse has been their home base since 1950.
Women's Team
The Rice women's basketball team has achieved notable success in recent years. In the 2021-2022 season, they won the Conference USA regular-season title and the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Additionally, the team reached the NCAA tournament in the 2006-2007 season. Rice has demonstrated a strong commitment to women's sports across various disciplines, including volleyball, soccer, swimming, and diving. The addition of women's golf to their athletic program in the 2026-2027 school year further emphasizes this commitment.
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Previous conferences
The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Rice University in college sports. The Rice men's basketball program is currently classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the American Athletic Conference.
Rice was previously a member of the Southwest Conference from 1914 until its breakup in 1996. During this time, the men's basketball team won 10 conference titles (1918, 1935*, 1940, 1942*, 1943*, 1944*, 1945, 1949*, 1954*, 1970). The Southwest Conference was also the home of the Rice Rugby Football Club, which won the conference with an undefeated record in 2013.
Following the disbandment of the Southwest Conference, Rice joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1996. They competed in this conference until 2005, when they moved to Conference USA.
Rice remained in Conference USA until 2023, achieving success in various sports during this period. Notably, the women's basketball team won the 2021 Women's National Invitation Tournament and the Conference USA regular-season title in the same season. Additionally, the Rice Rugby Football Club experienced a successful period during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, winning multiple Texas championships.
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NCAA Division I
Rice University, represented by the Rice Owls in college sports, participates in NCAA Division I athletics. The Rice Owls men's basketball program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the American Athletic Conference.
The Rice Owls compete in eight men's and eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. The men's basketball team has had a long history in Division I, previously participating in the Southwest Conference (1914-1996), the Western Athletic Conference (1996-2005), and Conference USA (2005-2023). The Owls play their home games in Tudor Fieldhouse, previously known as Rice Gymnasium.
The women's basketball team has also achieved notable success, qualifying for the NCAA tournament in 2006-07. The women's swimming team has been particularly strong, consistently outscoring opponents in the swimming portion of conference championships, including in the American Athletic Conference in 2023-24. Rice's women's teams have had a strong record in NCAA tournaments, with the volleyball, soccer, and basketball teams all qualifying for their respective NCAA tournaments in 2004-05.
Rice Rugby, which began in 1968, competes in Division I-AA in the Southwest Conference. They experienced success in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, winning multiple Texas championships.
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Conference USA
Rice University's men's basketball team, the Rice Owls, previously competed in Conference USA (CUSA) from 2005 to 2023. During their time in CUSA, the Rice Owls men's basketball team did not win any conference tournament finals.
Rice University's teams compete in eight men's and eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. The Rice Owls men's basketball team has competed in several conferences throughout its history, including the Southwest Conference (1914–1996), the Western Athletic Conference (1996–2005), Conference USA (2005–2023), and now the American Athletic Conference.
The Rice Owls women's basketball team has achieved notable success in recent years. They won the Conference USA regular-season title in 2021 and went on to win the Women's National Invitation Tournament that same year. The Owls' most recent NCAA tournament appearance was in 2019, when they won the Conference USA Tournament.
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Frequently asked questions
Rice University's basketball team, the Rice Owls, is in the American Athletic Conference.
No, the team has previously participated in the Southwest Conference (1914-1996), the Western Athletic Conference (1996-2005), and Conference USA (2005-2023).
Rice University joined the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023.
