Teams / American Athletic / Rice
Index · this season
53
at its 5-year level▲ Up 3 this season
Career61since 1936
Peak881953
Last 552seasons
#111 nationally · 1-5 (0-2 conf)
Résumé #128 · better than its record
Schedule so far #42
Margin ±5 pts (tightens with games)
Rice Owls
American Athletic · Houston, TX · Rice Stadium · Head coach Scott Abell
12-35 all time (47 meetings since 1971)
Houston leads
Last: lost 35-9 (2025) · Houston has won 2 straight
Wants it back
program traits are earned from history
0national titles
0Heisman
4AP top-10
7All-Americans
24NFL picks
39.9%win pct
History since 1936 · football since 1912. Every season →
Chemistry
58
56Foundation
61Gel
gel counts 45% so far
▲ Above its norm +8
early · #69 of 138
HC year2
Ret. starters27%
QB yrs w/ OC1
| Season | Record | Conference | AP final | Season rank | Rating | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026in progress | 1-5 | American Athletic | — | #111 | 53 | Scott Abell |
| 2025 | 5-8 | American Athletic | — | #124 | 50 | Scott Abell |
| 2024 | 4-8 | American Athletic | — | #102 | 55 | Mike Bloomgren; Pete Alamar |
| 2023 | 6-7 | American Athletic | — | #86 | 59 | Mike Bloomgren |
| 2022 | 5-8 | Conference USA | — | #113 | 51 | Mike Bloomgren |
| 2021 | 4-8 | Conference USA | — | #118 | 45 | Mike Bloomgren |
| 2020 | 2-3 | Conference USA | — | #51 | 61 | Mike Bloomgren |
| 2019 | 3-9 | Conference USA | — | #114 | 52 | Mike Bloomgren |
| 2018 | 2-11 | Conference USA | — | #128 | 33 | Mike Bloomgren |
| 2017 | 1-11 | Conference USA | — | #125 | 34 | David Bailiff |
| 2016 | 3-9 | Conference USA | — | #125 | 39 | David Bailiff |
| 2015 | 5-7 | Conference USA | — | #111 | 47 | David Bailiff |
| 2014 | 8-5 | Conference USA | — | #75 | 61 | David Bailiff |
| 2013 | 10-4 | Conference USA | — | #73 | 62 | David Bailiff |
| 2012 | 7-6 | Conference USA | — | #82 | 58 | David Bailiff |
| 2011 | 4-8 | Conference USA | — | #102 | 53 | David Bailiff |
| 2010 | 4-8 | Conference USA | — | #104 | 51 | David Bailiff |
| 2009 | 2-10 | Conference USA | — | #115 | 35 | David Bailiff |
| 2008 | 10-3 | Conference USA | — | #57 | 66 | David Bailiff |
| 2007 | 3-9 | Conference USA | — | #112 | 43 | David Bailiff |
| 2006 | 7-6 | Conference USA | — | #85 | 56 | Todd Graham |
| 2005 | 1-10 | Conference USA | — | #106 | 45 | Ken Hatfield |
| 2004 | 3-8 | Western Athletic | — | #97 | 53 | Ken Hatfield |
| 2003 | 5-7 | Western Athletic | — | #93 | 54 | Ken Hatfield |
| 2002 | 4-7 | Western Athletic | — | #98 | 52 | Ken Hatfield |
| 2001 | 8-4 | Western Athletic | — | #85 | 56 | Ken Hatfield |
| 2000 | 3-8 | Western Athletic | — | #87 | 56 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1999 | 5-6 | Western Athletic | — | #78 | 59 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1998 | 5-6 | Western Athletic | — | #58 | 64 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1997 | 7-4 | Western Athletic | — | #67 | 62 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1996 | 7-4 | Western Athletic | — | #44 | 68 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1995 | 2-8-1 | Southwest | — | #81 | 57 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1994 | 5-6 | Southwest | — | #68 | 61 | Ken Hatfield |
| 1993 | 6-5 | Southwest | — | #57 | 63 | Fred Goldsmith |
| 1992 | 6-5 | Southwest | — | #65 | 61 | Fred Goldsmith |
| 1991 | 4-7 | Southwest | — | #65 | 60 | Fred Goldsmith |
| 1990 | 5-6 | Southwest | — | #52 | 64 | Fred Goldsmith |
| 1989 | 2-8-1 | Southwest | — | #72 | 59 | Fred Goldsmith |
| 1988 | 0-11 | Southwest | — | #79 | 56 | Jerry Berndt |
| 1987 | 2-9 | Southwest | — | #89 | 52 | Jerry Berndt |
| 1986 | 4-7 | Southwest | — | #87 | 52 | Jerry Berndt |
| 1985 | 3-8 | Southwest | — | #79 | 54 | Watson Brown |
| 1984 | 1-10 | Southwest | — | #94 | 44 | Watson Brown |
| 1983 | 1-10 | Southwest | — | #101 | 31 | Ray Alborn |
| 1982 | 0-11 | Southwest | — | #97 | 45 | Ray Alborn |
| 1981 | 4-7 | Southwest | — | #80 | 59 | Ray Alborn |
| 1980 | 5-6 | Southwest | — | #51 | 67 | Ray Alborn |
| 1979 | 1-10 | Southwest | — | #94 | 55 | Ray Alborn |
| 1978 | 2-9 | Southwest | — | #77 | 59 | Ray Alborn |
| 1977 | 1-10 | Southwest | — | #108 | 47 | Homer Rice |
| 1976 | 3-8 | Southwest | — | #100 | 53 | Homer Rice |
| 1975 | 2-9 | Southwest | — | #64 | 63 | Al Conover |
| 1974 | 2-8-1 | Southwest | — | #63 | 63 | Al Conover |
| 1973 | 5-6 | Southwest | — | #50 | 66 | Al Conover |
| 1972 | 5-5-1 | Southwest | — | #42 | 69 | Al Conover |
| 1971 | 3-7-1 | Southwest | — | #62 | 62 | Bill Peterson |
| 1970 | 5-5 | Southwest | — | #40 | 69 | Bo Hagan |
| 1969 | 3-7 | Southwest | — | #59 | 62 | Bo Hagan |
| 1968 | 0-9-1 | Southwest | — | #73 | 58 | Bo Hagan |
| 1967 | 4-6 | Southwest | — | #52 | 64 | Bo Hagan |
| 1966 | 2-8 | Southwest | — | #39 | 69 | Jess Neely |
| 1965 | 2-8 | Southwest | — | #75 | 57 | Jess Neely |
| 1964 | 4-5-1 | Southwest | — | #34 | 71 | Jess Neely |
| 1963 | 6-4 | Southwest | — | #19 | 77 | Jess Neely |
| 1962 | 2-6-2 | Southwest | — | #54 | 66 | Jess Neely |
| 1961 | 7-4 | Southwest | #17 | #16 | 77 | Jess Neely |
| 1960 | 7-4 | Southwest | — | #7 | 82 | Jess Neely |
| 1959 | 1-7-2 | Southwest | — | #58 | 63 | Jess Neely |
| 1958 | 5-5 | Southwest | — | #16 | 76 | Jess Neely |
| 1957 | 7-4 | Southwest | #8 | #14 | 78 | Jess Neely |
| 1956 | 4-6 | Southwest | — | #39 | 69 | Jess Neely |
| 1955 | 2-7-1 | Southwest | — | #45 | 67 | Jess Neely |
| 1954 | 7-3 | Southwest | #19 | #15 | 78 | Jess Neely |
| 1953 | 9-2 | Southwest | #6 | #3 | 88 | Jess Neely |
| 1952 | 5-5 | Southwest | — | #40 | 68 | Jess Neely |
| 1951 | 5-5 | Southwest | — | #25 | 74 | Jess Neely |
| 1950 | 6-4 | Southwest | — | #39 | 69 | Jess Neely |
| 1949 | 10-1 | Southwest | #5 | #11 | 79 | Jess Neely |
| 1948 | 5-4-1 | Southwest | — | #35 | 71 | Jess Neely |
| 1947 | 6-3-1 | Southwest | #18 | #4 | 88 | Jess Neely |
| 1946 | 9-2 | Southwest | #10 | #8 | 80 | Jess Neely |
| 1945 | 5-6 | Southwest | — | #35 | 64 | Jess Neely |
| 1944 | 5-6 | Southwest | — | #44 | 59 | Jess Neely |
| 1943 | 3-7 | Southwest | — | #41 | 56 | Jess Neely |
| 1942 | 7-2-1 | Southwest | — | #15 | 78 | Jess Neely |
| 1941 | 6-3-1 | Southwest | — | #36 | 70 | Jess Neely |
| 1940 | 7-3 | Southwest | — | #20 | 75 | Jess Neely |
| 1939 | 1-9-1 | Southwest | — | #54 | 64 | Jimmy Kitts |
| 1938 | 4-6 | Southwest | — | #59 | 64 | Jimmy Kitts |
| 1937 | 6-3-2 | Southwest | #18 | #14 | 78 | Jimmy Kitts |
| 1936 | 5-7 | Southwest | — | #31 | 70 | Jimmy Kitts |
| 1935 | 8-3 | Southwest | — | #15 | 78 early | Jimmy Kitts |
| 1934 | 9-1-1 | Southwest | — | #8 | 84 early | Jimmy Kitts |
| 1933 | 3-8 | Southwest | — | #69 | 57 early | Jack Meagher |
| 1932 | 7-3 | Southwest | — | #30 | 71 early | Jack Meagher |
| 1931 | 6-4 | Southwest | — | #43 | 64 early | Jack Meagher |
| 1930 | 8-4 | Southwest | — | #44 | 63 early | Jack Meagher |
| 1929 | 2-7 | Southwest | — | #60 | 56 early | Jack Meagher |
| 1928 | 2-7 | Southwest | — | #73 | 51 early | Claude Rothgeb |
| 1927 | 2-6-1 | Southwest | — | #35 | 66 early | John Heisman |
| 1926 | 4-4-1 | Southwest | — | #63 | 53 early | John Heisman |
| 1925 | 4-4-1 | Southwest | — | #67 | 54 early | John Heisman |
| 1924 | 4-4 | Southwest | — | #49 | 60 early | John Heisman |
| 1923 | 3-5 | Southwest | — | #67 | 53 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1922 | 4-4 | Southwest | — | #72 | 53 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1921 | 4-4-1 | Southwest | — | #61 | 53 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1920 | 4-2-2 | Southwest | — | #53 | 56 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1919 | 8-1 | Southwest | — | #37 | 65 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1918 | 1-5-1 | Southwest | — | — | — | John Anderson |
| 1917 | 7-1 | Southwest | — | #16 | 75 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1916 | 6-1-2 | Southwest | — | #38 | 61 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1915 | 5-3 | Southwest | — | #43 | 58 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1914 | 3-2-3 | FBS Independents | — | #45 | 54 early | Phillip Arbuckle |
| 1913 | 1-0 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | |
| 1912 | 0-1 | FBS Independents | — | — | — |
★ = a national title the school claims. Seasons before 1936 (the first AP poll) are the early era: shown in gray and rated on the same yardstick, but the all-time pool and program totals that matter most start in 1936.