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Rice could field a really good football program, if they wanted to.

Posted on 12/28/25 at 1:46 am
Posted by FAT SEXY
California
Member since Jun 2020
1491 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 1:46 am
Larger endowment than every SEC school outside of the Texas/Texas A&M Systems and Vanderbilt.

Rice has the largest endowment per student in the state of Texas.

Wayyy richer than Texas Tech, SMU, TCU, Baylor etc. Etc... btw, 3 of those schools mentioned have made the playoffs already.

The Gateway Project looks nice and is a start. Rice Stadium will get the renovation it deserves. JFK had his "We choose to go to the Moon" speech there..

Maybe the Owls will choose to fly there again.

Just need to funnel talent into scholarships at Virani (Business school), random outlier graduate recruits to JHJ
This post was edited on 12/28/25 at 1:51 am
Posted by RemouladeSawce
Uranus
Member since Sep 2008
17216 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 2:10 am to
Well, the want is pretty important

Harvard’s endowment is like 8x bigger, Rice is nothing
This post was edited on 12/28/25 at 2:21 am
Posted by FAT SEXY
California
Member since Jun 2020
1491 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 2:21 am to
quote:

Well, the want is pretty important


You're right about that.

I think admission standards will always tie hands behind the back.

A few well placed tweaks though and Rice could smoke a lot of schools. We could dominate Houston recruiting in the NIL era.

Most of the wealthier alums don't really care about sportsball though (I can't say that I blame them)
This post was edited on 12/28/25 at 4:03 am
Posted by FAT SEXY
California
Member since Jun 2020
1491 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 2:31 am to
quote:

Harvard’s endowment is like 8x bigger, Rice is nothing


I think we've laid out clearly in the OP that Rice is something.

That nothing private school in Texas with 9,000 current students has 4X the endowment of the mighty Alabama.

Harvard could kill it in football too, if they wanted.
This post was edited on 12/28/25 at 2:32 am
Posted by GeauxTigers123
Member since Feb 2007
3105 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 5:27 am to
Endowment isn’t spent on football.

Posted by Hou_Lawyer
Houston, TX
Member since Jun 2019
2174 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 6:48 am to
Not happening. Not enough internal support. Vandy doing it this year though should make them think that’s it’s possible. I just wouldn’t hold my breath.
Posted by lsufanva
sandston virginia
Member since Aug 2009
13382 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 6:54 am to
Im not sure you guys know what endowments are. I can assure you, sports are not even on a scratch list of where that money will go. Damn sure not for player salaries.
Posted by Pedro
Geaux Hawks
Member since Jul 2008
38400 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 7:13 am to
Honestly, if vandy and Indiana can field competitive teams in today’s climate (almost) anyone can
Posted by tiggerthetooth
Big Momma's House
Member since Oct 2010
64165 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:07 am to
quote:

largest endowment per student in the state of Texas.



But not the largest endowment. At the end of the day the Rice "big wigs" dont care for football much in the same way the big wigs at USCw are more or less indifferent to football.
Posted by double d
Amarillo by morning
Member since Jun 2004
17061 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:22 am to
Too bad they’ll never use that endowment for sports….the purpose of a University is education
Posted by Geauxgurt
Member since Sep 2013
13309 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:29 am to
No they can’t. For multiple reasons.

1) They actually give a shite about academics for their athletes unlike other places including Vandy.

2) student support is awful and their student body is around 4,500 undergrads and may go up to 5,500 to 5,500 in coming years


3) stadium is more than half empty.


4) Alumni from the last 30 years or so care more about the Beer Bike race than the sports teams.

Money doesn’t mean you will spend it on those things. None of these schools are touching their endowments for freaking sports teams.
Posted by New Money
Athens, GA
Member since Jun 2023
3677 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:44 am to
quote:


Endowment isn’t spent on football.



This. Nor should it be.
Posted by chalmetteowl
Chalmette
Member since Jan 2008
53807 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:56 am to
quote:

We could dominate Houston recruiting in the NIL era.
how, you don’t play in the SEC
Posted by TomRollTideRitter
Member since Aug 2016
13174 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:59 am to
The modern demographics of a school like Rice aren’t conducive to athletic success even with NIL.

Your post also ignores that a lot of athletic donations are used as a way to become a power broker in a state.

A Texas A&M grad in the oil business actually generates an investment return on his NIL/athletic support by networking in the boxes at an Aggie game.

There’s no such thing for Chinese Rice grad in San Francisco or Shenzhen.
Posted by chalmetteowl
Chalmette
Member since Jan 2008
53807 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 9:03 am to
quote:

There’s no such thing for Chinese Rice grad in San Francisco or Shenzhen.


There’s no such thing at any Rice game if everyone you network with is at a Texas or A&M game
Posted by Cosmo
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
129582 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 9:07 am to
quote:

Larger endowment than every SEC school outside of the Texas/Texas A&M Systems and Vanderbilt.


Dumb

Harvard’s endowment is like 50 billion

Endowment is irrelevant for football
Posted by GreatLakesTiger24
Member since May 2012
59154 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 9:12 am to
quote:

few well placed tweaks though and Rice could smoke a lot of schools. We could dominate Houston recruiting in the NIL era.
small school fan delusion is hilarious
Posted by FAT SEXY
California
Member since Jun 2020
1491 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 9:14 am to
Endowment can have downstream effects.

Of course I know it's not spent directly on athletics, but wealth like that can have indirect effects.

Regardless, I was only using it as an example to show that Rice has money. The real kicker would be booster support, but I doubt many of the big wigs would ever open the wallets for Rice Football
This post was edited on 12/28/25 at 9:22 am
Posted by FAT SEXY
California
Member since Jun 2020
1491 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 9:15 am to
quote:

small school fan delusion is hilarious


I was only half trolling
Posted by thejudge
Westlake, LA
Member since Sep 2009
15084 posts
Posted on 12/28/25 at 10:06 am to
Rice should close.up football and increase baseball.

They'd likely be more competitive and be able to fill a stadium down there if they play good baseball with the student numbers.
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