Rice Owls | |||
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University | Rice University | ||
First season | 1914–15 | ||
All-time record | 1,189–1,525 (.438) | ||
Head coach | Rob Lanier (1st season) | ||
Conference | The American | ||
Location | Houston, Texas | ||
Arena | Tudor Fieldhouse (capacity: 5,208) | ||
Nickname | Owls | ||
Student section | The Nest | ||
Colors | Blue and gray[1] | ||
Uniforms | |||
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NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||
1940, 1942 | |||
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
1954 | |||
NCAA tournament appearances | |||
1940, 1942, 1954, 1970 | |||
Conference regular season champions | |||
1918, 1935, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1970 |
The Rice Owls men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Rice University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the American Athletic Conference. They previously participated in the Southwest Conference (1914–1996), the Western Athletic Conference (1996–2005), and Conference USA (2005–2023).
The Owls play their home games in Tudor Fieldhouse, which they have called home since 1950. Previously known as Rice Gymnasium, it was renamed in honor of Rice alum Bobby Tudor, who spearheaded the 2008 renovation of the facility with a multimillion-dollar donation. The court is designated "Autry Court" in memory of Mrs. James L. Autry. Her husband James Lockhart Autry was a descendant of Micajah Autry, who was a hero of the Battle of the Alamo. Her daughter, Mrs. Edward W. Kelley, made a generous donation to the gymnasium building fund in honor of her late mother, an ardent supporter of Rice.