Rice Is Doing What?

[50's PONY]

Options include new facilities, drop to D-III
Associated Press

HOUSTON -- Rice University's board of trustees has commissioned a study that looks at everything from doing away with athletics at the school to enhancing facilities for athletes, according to a broadcast report Wednesday.


Houston television station KRIV, citing sources close to the Rice faculty, said the study was done by Houston-based McKinsey and Company to determine the fate of Rice athletics.


According to the sources, options outlined also include dropping to Division III status, dropping football, keeping the programs as they are now and building new facilities to enhance the athletic programs.


Rice athletic director Bobby May confirmed that the study was commissioned, but added that he has not seen the confidential report meant only for the board of trustees.


The school's baseball team is the defending national champion and both the men's and women's basketball teams made it to postseason play in 2004.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Dear Lord I hope not

[RGV Pony]

I'm guessing that Rice needs some $$ for athletics, and has been inspired by what Tulane pulled off last year. They'll "consider" DIII, all the while causing people to all of a sudden give a you-know-what, raise more $$, and accomplish their goal.

By the way, while I'm on the topic of $$, perhaps SMU should raise the fee for applying to the university. I read where apps are up-to 7,000, but they'll only take 3500.

[abezontar]

why would you want to make it more difficult to apply? It has always been my understanding that you want to get as many applications as possible so that you can be more selective about who you let in, making the academic reputation of the school better.

[LA_Mustang]

I know this is not going to be a popular opinion but if schools like Rice, SMU, Baylor, Tulane, and TCU were to drop football and commit to building big-time bball or baseball programs, they/we would have a much greater chance for success. Small private schools, outside of Miami, USC, and a couple of others, have no chance for a championship in football, especially those in non-BCS conferences. I love football and I hope that SMU never drops it but I would really like to see SMU contend for a national championship (football, BASKETBALL, or baseball) in my lifetime.

[gostangs]

ONLY accept 3,500? I thought our total class size was about 2,000 - up from 1,700. Also - our acceptance rate is too high - we need to increase our applications by about 25% to get the increase in student quality we are after - we are better then our private school competitors (TCU, Baylor) but way under Rice and other more nationally known academic schools.

One way to increase applications is to become better known - the best way to become better known is to have a successful sports program - especially in the money sports basketball and football - for Rice it may not matter as much - for us it is critical.

[couch 'em]

I'm guessing that Rice needs some $$ for athletics, and has been inspired by what Tulane pulled off last year. They'll "consider" DIII, all the while causing people to all of a sudden give a you-know-what, raise more $$, and accomplish their goal.

By the way, while I'm on the topic of $$, perhaps SMU should raise the fee for applying to the university. I read where apps are up-to 7,000, but they'll only take 3500.

There is no way that is accurate. The big joke in highschool was how ANYONE could get accepted to SMU - what mattered was how much scholarship money they offered. For most of the colleges in SMU the only thing prestigious is paying the tution

[HorsePower]

Never abandon football for the addition of baseball or the improvement of basketball -- both of which are great sports, but football's religion in Texas.