Rice Stadium opened in 1950, once held a maximum capacity of 70,000, and has played host to a Super Bowl and presidential speech. It’s also one of the most direct and to the point names for any venue out there. But now, Rice University is looking to rename the 47,000-seat stadium, and is searching for partners.
Rice’s athletic department announced on Wednesday that it will work with Independent Sports and Entertainment to identify a potential naming rights partner for its stadium, which also hosts various concerts and other sporting events.
“We are excited to work with ISE as we seek a naming rights partner for Rice Stadium,” said Rice Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland. “It is more important than ever that we continue to be creative and open-minded as we explore new ways to invest in our student-athletes and ensure that we are providing them with a best-in-class experience.”
Rice aims to improve its athletic performance, especially in football, as new head coach Scott Abell begins his first year. Furthermore, keeping pace with the competition is evidently important for Rice, as more schools invest in their athletic programs with resources for infrastructure, NIL funds, and personnel to strengthen their teams. With the new revenue-sharing model impacting college sports, securing naming rights appears to be a logical next step.
[…]
So, who will get naming rights for Rice Stadium? Toyota (Houston Rockets), NRG (Houston Texans), and Daikin (Houston Astros) currently adorn the venues of the city’s professional teams. Can I interest you in a Buc-ee’s Stadium for the Owls? How about H-E-B Stadium for a clash between Rice and Houston? Stadiums also do well with good nicknames, so maybe we could get Blue Bell Stadium and call it “The Bell?”
With the 2025 college football season starting in three months, fans should expect a deal to be finalized by August.
The jokes are flying among the Owl fans, too. I can live with this, as long as it’s not too janky and doesn’t involve any truly evil people or corporations (you can surely infer what I have in mind here). The one thing I am sure of is that the MOB will have something to say about it this fall. Come to the first game or two in September and see for yourself what that will be. Rice’s statement on the deal is here.