Rice students bid farewell to Bayou Bucket series

Photo by Dylan Kim | The Rice Thresher
Rice football captains address a crowd of supporters during a pep rally in the academic quad on Sept. 5. Dylan Kim / Thresher

By Jonah Tontiplaphol 9/9/25 11:07pm

For the first time in almost 30 years, Rice students and their families gathered in the academic quad for a pep rally on Friday. With the annual game against the University of Houston not renewed for at least another five years, this could be many students’ last Bayou Bucket clash between the two Houston universities.

Megan Vila, assistant director of marketing for Rice Athletics, said the athletic department wanted to show out for the whole city.

“The football game between Rice and UH has always been a long-standing rivalry,” Vila said. “So this year, with them coming on to our campus, we wanted just to blow it out and make sure that students are super hyped up for it and excited and all of that.”

Beyond the historical significance of this rivalry, Senior Associate Athletic Director of Competitive Excellence Davon Robb said that for many players, this matchup is significant for personal reasons.

“We got a lot of guys on the team that are from Texas, that are from Houston,” Robb said. “A lot of them are playing friends or their summer teammates or former guys they played against in high school as well. It’s for bragging rights of Houston.”

2,841 students ultimately attended the Owls’ loss Saturday. In total, the game drew an audience of 30,116 people. Last season, Rice averaged around 18,000 spectators.

Even though head coach Scott Abell is a new face around South Main, he said he has embraced the history of the program and understands the gravity of this rivalry. Abell made sure to demonstrate his animosity towards the Cougars in his address to the student body.

“When I land in Houston after I’m traveling, I am tired of getting off an airplane and seeing a billboard of the Houston Cougars in the airport,” Abell said. “I’m sick of driving on our freeway system and I see billboards of Houston. It’s time for Rice Owls to put our name on those billboards.”

Abell, in his address to the crowd in the academic quad, also called on the student body to come out and give their all to support the team.

“We are so appreciative of your support, but tomorrow we need it more than ever,” Abell said. “Get out there, be loud, let’s get after it, exhaust your energy for 60 minutes of football.”

Nathan Kwon, a Will Rice College sophomore, said he enjoyed the pep rally and would like to see more opportunities for students to demonstrate school spirit.

“I really want more pep rallies, like during [Orientation Week], because they’re a lot of fun,” Kwon said. “I also think, Rice kids, we gotta get more hype. I think the kids here, they’re good at studying. We should give them a study guide about how to cheer.”