Rice University will open its 115th football season with a night game against the HCU Huskies at Rice Stadium on September 5, according to a May 27 announcement. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., marking the first of three non-conference night games for the Owls in September.
The American Conference released kickoff times and television designations for the first three weeks of the 2026 football season, including two prime-time appearances for Rice on ESPN networks. In addition to their home opener, Rice will face Western Michigan on September 19 at Rice Stadium, also at 6 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+. The team is set for a national broadcast when it travels to Fresno State on September 26 as part of the Pac-12’s prime time lineup on CW.
Another notable matchup includes Rice’s first meeting with Temple in football, which will be featured as ESPN’s Thursday night game offering from Philadelphia on November 19, with a scheduled kickoff at 6:30 p.m. NBC and Notre Dame previously announced that Rice’s visit to South Bend on September 12 will start at 2:30 p.m.
Game times for seven remaining American Conference matchups—including home contests against UTSA (October 3), Tulsa (October 25), Tulane (November 14), and Army (November 28)—will be determined throughout the season via The American’s weekly selection process.
Season ticket packages are available starting at $109 per seat. Fans interested in purchasing tickets can visit RiceOwls.com/26FBTix or call (713)348-OWLS (6957) for more information.
