I was just thinking about the other thread about CUSA baseball, and the change in the composition of the conference, and I wanted to get a reading on who Rice's biggest CUSA rivals are.
Honestly, this baseball season has me excited about Rice's future in CUSA going forward, leading the conference with FAU. I think the strength of your two programs - not to mention your twin mascots - make FAU a great rival for Rice.
So, #1 on my list for Rice (in your best sport) is FAU. Here is the rest of my list for biggest Rice rivals. What is your list?
#1) FAU - Owls. Baseball kings of CUSA.
#2) UNT - Has that Houston vs North Texas vibe. Apogee Stadium offers a great venue for Rice fans to enjoy on the road.
#3) UAB - Both VERY respected research institutions. Together since CUSA 2.0. Watson Brown brought some of that Rice flavor to UAB.
#4) MARSHALL - 2013 CUSA Football Championship opponent. I think that may be a competitive football rivalry that carries CUSA through future decades.
#5) UTSA - This is the rivalry to keep an eye on. In my opinion, this will probably be Rice's biggest foil in the West. I believe Bailiff will use this association to recruit the San Antonio area very heavily going forward. Conversely, UTSA will likely be the biggest fanbase to fill out Rice stadium in the future. There is so much to like about an athletics alliance between these two schools.