(10-13-2021 05:53 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote: (10-13-2021 04:19 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: (10-13-2021 03:02 PM)bullet Wrote: (10-13-2021 02:54 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote: (10-13-2021 02:37 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote: QFT, though, culturally, Rice would also have to challenge its recruiting practices and maybe try for kids it may have previously passed on, too. It’s a bigger lift for the school than it appears, but, yeah, Rice itself put that on its own back.
True there's more to it than just that, but like you said all the issues that make it arguably impossible to win at Rice are self imposed.
Well if Stanford can win, Rice can win.
Stanford’s enrollment is considerably larger but I get the point, Rice could fund a competitive program but chooses not to.
Honestly, I kind of don’t blame them—it’s not like the Houston market is suddenly going to convert to Rice fans with a few great seasons.
Maybe some of these urban academic citadels would be better served being beasts in D3 or forming a Patriot/Ivy style FCS conference.
You don't think so? Texans are terrible. If the cougars keep being terrible at football in the Big 12, and the rockets have a bad season, a 10-win Rice would be a hot ticket.
Look at Miami. They are another small private(lol) with a terrible pro football franchise in town. (and if any of you are old enough to be Dan Marino fans, shoosh)
Houston is a football town, but more importantly, it's a pro town. The Texans stink, and have been bad more than they've been good. But they are supported and loved. Houstonians know what it is like to lose an NFL team, and they're attached to this one for better or worse. The Astros are loved right now because they win. The Rockets are loved when they win, as well.
Rice falls on the ladder below the pro teams and behind U of H. U of H does well to fill their 40,000 seat stadium when they are good. And they're the public school with thousands of alums. Rice is competing with U of H, UT, A&M, and others for fans.
I can see the mindset of Rice's administration. They don't need to invest in their athletic program to attract students or to raise money. They have no issue with either of those things: recruiting students and raising money. In their mind, why should they bother to invest in athletics if they don't need or can't achieve the return on investment? Neither the stakeholders of Rice nor the general public are demanding (in large numbers) quality athletics from their school. It's just a really, really good school down on South Main that most people can't dream of attending or affording.
Miami struggled with attendance even in their glory days. They would fill up the Orange Bowl when Notre Dame or Florida State came to town, but would struggle to fill it when playing more pedestrian opponents. Those issues have magnified with the move to the Dolphins' stadium. The difference between Miami and Rice, though, is that Miami captured the hearts of the general public, even if it didn't always translate to attendance. If a school in Houston generates interest from the general public, it is U of H.
Rice is between a rock and a hard place. They can't go D-III, but they can't justify playing on the level of the SEC. As mentioned earlier, their best bet is to try to get back with SMU and Tulane.