![]() We decided there was strength in numbers. “But what we’re doing here is building for the long-term future. “Nine years ago (when the AAC formed), a lot of people doubted us,” AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said. In athletics, we also seek to embody three complementary core values: Grit, Curiosity and Teamwork.The American Athletic Conference announced the addition of six new universities - Florida Atlantic University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Texas, University of Texas at San Antonio, Rice University and University of Alabama at Birmingham - to the conference on Thursday. We embrace the Rice values of Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence. Rice Athletics provides an incubator for student-athletes who crave competitive success and lessons in leadership, teamwork and grit on their path to becoming self-actualizing, proud alumni. Over the past seven years, Rice has seen nearly $54 million in facility upgrades and new construction projects directly benefitting each of its 16 sports. Most recently, Rice concluded the 2020-2021 season ranked highest among Conference USA institutions in the Learfield IMG College Director's Cup, which measures broad-based athletic success. Rice has captured 56 team championships as a member of Conference USA, with 12 of its 16 sports teams winning at least one team title, while earning the conference's academic achievement honor 13 times in its first 16 years in the league. Rice was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2005, when the Owls moved to Conference USA. It was one of the original eight schools that joined together in 1915 to form the Southwest Conference and was one of four founding members remaining in the league until its end in 1996. Rice has been competing in sports on the intercollegiate level since the Rice Institute welcomed its first incoming class of freshmen in 1912. The move will reunite Rice with former longtime rivals such as SMU and Tulane as well as with former C-USA members East Carolina, Memphis and Tulsa. Rice will join Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, UAB and UTSA in moving to the conference from Conference USA to compete with current members East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, USF and Wichita State as a 14-team league in football, basketball and some other sports. Building on our strength in recent years, including many conference championships, membership in the The American will enable us to take the next steps in achieving our high aspirations for Rice Athletics." ![]() We are excited to be rejoining schools like SMU, Tulane and Tulsa in an athletics conference, to play Navy on a more regular basis and to have the opportunity to participate in athletics with all the other members of The American. "We appreciate the strong support from Commissioner (Michael) Aresco and the university presidents. "We're thrilled to be joining the American Athletic Conference, and I am especially grateful to Joe Karlgaard for his steadfast leadership in positioning us for and seizing this opportunity," Rice President David Leebron stated. We have strong alignment as we embark on the next chapter in the history of Rice Athletics." The commitment to athletics by our university administration has been crucial to our efforts to move forward, and we're very grateful for their close partnership. "Today's invitation to join the American Athletic Conference confirms our approach and aligns with our aspirations to offer an unparalleled experience for our students. "We have been working diligently to position Rice as an attractive candidate when the next round of conference realignment began," Rice Director of Athletics, Recreation and Lifetime Fitness Joe Karlgaard said. The invitation was extended after a vote of The American's presidents on Thursday. Rice University has accepted an invitation to join the American Athletic Conference (The American), a historic new direction for the school's athletic department. ![]()
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