Rice football, stadium undergo four-year metamorphosis

By Amanda Melchor     10/9/08 7:00pm

I have never been a big football fan. Ask my friends, my parents, anyone who knows me. Despite living in Texas - a state that virtually worships football for half a year - I have never caught the fervor that accompanies the pigskin spectacle. Rather, I had never until two weeks ago at the Families' Weekend football game. Let me tell you: Rice's Athletic Department has done an excellent job in transforming Rice football games into events worth attending.The last time I attended a Rice football game as a student - and I mean really attended a football game, wearing Rice colors, cheering on the players - the stadium had worn, wooden, splintery stands that were literally a pain to sit in. Vendors didn't really exist, much less tempt spectators. And the student section was nonexistent. I've been to college football games at Texas A&M University and the Alamobowl in San Antonio and noticed that despite the different venues and teams, there was always a show of spirit: large buttons and fans with the school's logo and catchphrase and the endless stream of tables with college trappings and emblems. Despite my apathy towards the game, I have wondered whether I was missing out on something by attending a school that didn't celebrate its football games in a similar way.

But when I walked into the stadium with my parents that Saturday, ready to apologize for the barren and rundown facilities I had last seen so long ago, I was startled at the transformed stadium in front of me. At the gate, ticket takers handed students bright white towels with "It's 'R' Time!" emblazoned in dark blue lettering. Since when did Rice give away towels for students to wave during a game? Freshly painted signs greeted us as we walked in and as we made our way to our now refurbished and non-splintered seats, we saw new and bright banners proudly boasting the university's previous bowl games, All-American players and Nobel Prize winners.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Rice would be able to find a way to celebrate both its sports and its institutional achievements.

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There were not only active and bustling vendors, but also tables with Rice Owls gear for sale. Rice spirit and pride was all around me, and I hadn't yet taken a look at the crowd nor the field. The improved stands and concourses were just a small sign of the changes that had been made compared to what I saw from my seat. The field and sound system had improved incredibly; the Rice name and letters stood out sharply and clearly in the end zones against the green field; the remaining old bleachers were nicely decorated with various covers of the Rice owl, seal and logo; and you could clearly hear every word and sound from the speakers. And perhaps most surprisingly, the stands and student section were as packed as I have possibly ever seen them. Students and their parents stood up to wildly cheer and raise their towels as Chase Clement and Jarett Dillard strove to (and did) break an NCAA record, and Sammy moved through the crowd to greet and work the fans. The entire experience, from the aesthetic improvements to the physical changes, attendance and enthusiasm, was a new one for me and gave me a new respect and appreciation for Rice football.

The Athletic Department has done a phenomenal job of reviving the lackluster sport that used to be Rice football, but it could still employ more ways to get people out to the game next week. On the right track with "Its 'R' Time!" towels, the department should try to give away more things at each home game, like buttons, fans and T-shirts with the new slogan. I think I can speak for most of the students when I say that we love free stuff, especially T-shirts that are Rice-related and allow us to show our Rice pride. And if for some cost-effective reason it can't be free, the shirts could at least be sold at a flat fee of $5 in and outside of the stadium to students and non-students alike. These fashionable yet inexpensive souvenirs remind people about football games and keep them coming back.

The improvements that have been made were long overdue and helped reinvigorate an athletic pastime at Rice that had seen better days. With these upgrades and our timely home win over the University of North Texas, I finally understood why people get so involved with college football and how a strong program can increase school spirit. When I speak with alumni who graduated in the '50s, I always hear them talk about how the football games were the highlights of their weekends and how invested the university and its students were in their athletic program. While it has strayed from this once common tradition, I think Rice is on the right path to rebuilding and refocusing its football program to get more students involved and keep them attending the games.

Amanda Melchor is a Hanszen College senior and opinion editor.

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