Houston–Rice rivalry

Bayou Bucket Classic
Sport	Football
First meeting	September 11, 1971; Houston 23, Rice 21
Latest meeting	September 9, 2023; Rice 43, Houston 41 2OT
Next meeting	September 14, 2024
Statistics
Meetings total	45
All-time series	Houston leads 33–12
Largest victory	Houston, 64–0 (1989)
Longest win streak	Houston, 7 (2011–2022)
Current win streak	Rice, 1 (2023–present)

Bayou Cup
Sport	Basketball
First meeting	January 8, 1972; Houston 101, Rice 73
Latest meeting	December 6, 2023; Houston 75, Rice 39
Next meeting	TBD
Statistics
Meetings total	84
All-time series	Houston leads 66–18
Largest victory	Houston, 106–56 (January 12, 1977)
Longest win streak	Houston, 17 (January 8, 1972–January 3, 1980)
Current win streak	Houston, 8 (March 6, 2013–present)

The Houston–Rice rivalry is a crosstown college rivalry between the Houston Cougars of the University of Houston and Rice Owls of Rice University. The universities are located approximately five miles from one another. It is one of the few NCAA Division I crosstown rivalries, especially between institutions that field Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

3km
2miles

Rice

Houston

Locations in Houston

The rivalry existed in a more official capacity after Houston joined the now-defunct Southwest Conference in 1971, in which Rice was a charter member. Since the breakup of that conference in 1995, the rivalry has continued. In 2005, Rice joined Conference USA, of which Houston was a member, and again made the rivalry more relevant for conference titles as well. The two schools were once again in separate conferences after the 2012–13 school year once Houston joined the American Athletic Conference. Rice moved into the American in 2023, but at the same time Houston moved to the Big 12 Conference, so the two schools continue to compete in separate conferences.

Baseball

The winner of the Silver Glove series between UH and Rice receives an award dubbed the "Silver Cup Trophy". The teams played against each other for the first time in 1948. Through the 2024 season, Rice leads the series 110–90.^[1]^[2]

Both teams compete in the annual Houston College Classic, which began in 2001.

Men's basketball

Since 2002, Rice and Houston have competed for an award dubbed the "Bayou Cup" in men's basketball. Through the 2023–24 season, Houston leads the series 66–18.^[3]

Game results

Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.

Houston victories	Rice victories

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
44	January 18, 1992	Rice Gymnasium	Houston	74–60
45	February 19, 1992	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	86–83
46	February 2, 1993	Hofheinz Pavilion	Rice	65–61
47	March 3, 1993	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	89–78
48	February 5, 1994	Rice Gymnasium	Houston	69–67
49	March 5, 1994	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	78–76
50	January 11, 1995	Hofheinz Pavilion	Rice	87–76
51	February 8, 1995	Rice Gymnasium	Houston	73–67
52	January 13, 1996	Rice Gymnasium	Houston	76–74
53	February 10, 1996	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	63–59
54	November 21, 1998	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	69–64
55	December 7, 1999	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	84–71^OT
56	November 21, 2000	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	65–45
57	November 29, 2001	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	62–61
58	November 27, 2002	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	71–53
59	December 3, 2003	Hofheinz Pavilion	Rice	62–52
60	November 30, 2004	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	74–73
61	January 11, 2006	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	71–62
62	March 1, 2006	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	74–71
63	January 17, 2007	Rice Gymnasium	Rice	76–71
64	January 31, 2007	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	70–63
65	March 9, 2007^E	FedExForum	Houston	77–62
66	January 23, 2008	Rice Gymnasium	Houston	69–60
67	February 23, 2008	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	71–62
68	February 7, 2009	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	72–65
69	February 28, 2009	Tudor Fieldhouse	Houston	56–51
70	January 6, 2010	Tudor Fieldhouse	Houston	83–66
71	March 3, 2010	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	78–70
72	January 26, 2011	Tudor Fieldhouse	Rice	79–71^OT
73	March 5, 2011	Hofheinz Pavilion	Rice	72–57
74	February 8, 2012	Hofheinz Pavilion	Rice	79–71
75	March 3, 2012	Tudor Fieldhouse	Houston	76–75
76	January 30, 2013	Tudor Fieldhouse	Rice	79–69
77	March 6, 2013	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	84–62
78	March 13, 2013^F	BOK Center	Houston	72–67
79	December 21, 2013	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	54–52
80	January 28, 2015	Hofheinz Pavilion	Houston	59–48
81	November 14, 2018	H&PE Arena	Houston	79–68
82	November 19, 2019	Tudor Fieldhouse	Houston	97–89
83	November 12, 2021	Fertitta Center	#15 Houston	79–46
84	December 6, 2023	Fertitta Center	#3 Houston	75–39
Series: Houston leads 66–18

Notes

^A 1978 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament
^B 1980 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament
^C 1984 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament
^D 1990 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament
^E 2007 Conference USA men's basketball tournament
^F 2013 Conference USA men's basketball tournament

Football

The football rivalry, sometimes referred to as the Bayou Bucket Classic,^[4] is the longest running competition between the two institutions. Both teams are part of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

The first official game between the teams was played in 1971 when Houston joined the now-defunct Southwest Conference of which Rice was also a member. The teams previously met in a 1946 scrimmage marking Houston's inaugural season.^[5] For many years the competition included an annual regular-season football game between the schools. The winner of the game receives the Bayou Bucket,^[6] which is a full-sized trophy with a golden bucket on top.

Although the last Southwest Conference football game was part of the series,^[7] the teams did not compete against each other in football from 1996 to 1998 and from 2014 to 2016. However, they still play as non-conference foes as future schedules allow. Houston leads the series 33–12 through the 2023 season.^[8]

Game results

Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.

Houston victories	Rice victories

No.	Date	Location	Winning team		Losing team
24	November 26, 1994	Astrodome	Rice	31	Houston	13
25	December 2, 1995	Rice Stadium	Houston	18	Rice	17
26	September 4, 1999	Robertson Stadium	Houston	28	Rice	3
27	September 2, 2000	Rice Stadium	Rice	30	Houston	27^OT
28	September 1, 2001	Robertson Stadium	Rice	21	Houston	14
29	August 31, 2002	Rice Stadium	Houston	24	Rice	10
30	August 30, 2003	Robertson Stadium	Houston	48	Rice	14
31	September 5, 2004	Reliant Stadium	Rice	10	Houston	7
32	November 26, 2005	Robertson Stadium	Houston	35	Rice	18
33	September 2, 2006	Rice Stadium	Houston	31	Rice	30
34	October 13, 2007	Robertson Stadium	Houston	56	Rice	48
35	September 20, 2008	Rice Stadium	Rice	56	Houston	42
36	November 28, 2009	Robertson Stadium	#25 Houston	73	Rice	14
37	October 16, 2010	Rice Stadium	Rice	34	Houston	31
38	October 27, 2011	Robertson Stadium	#18 Houston	73	Rice	34
39	September 29, 2012	Reliant Stadium	Houston	35	Rice	14
40	September 21, 2013	Reliant Stadium	Houston	31	Rice	26
41	September 16, 2017	TDECU Stadium	Houston	38	Rice	3
42	September 1, 2018	Rice Stadium	Houston	45	Rice	27
43	September 11, 2021	Rice Stadium	Houston	44	Rice	7
44	September 24, 2022	TDECU Stadium	Houston	34	Rice	27
45	September 9, 2023	Rice Stadium	Rice	43	Houston	41^2OT
Series: Houston leads 33–12^[8]

References

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Search

Houston–Rice rivalry

Contents

Baseball

Men's basketball

Game results

Notes

Football

Game results

References