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Rice University Athletics
Game Day at Rice Stadium: What to Look For in 2026
9/4/2026 4:48:00 PM | Football
Improvements and innovations both inside and outside Rice Stadium, designed to enhance the experience for fans of all ages.
The countdown to kickoff for Rice Football 2026 is entering its final days, and fans will soon experience firsthand improvements and innovations both inside and outside Rice Stadium, designed to enhance the experience for fans of all ages.
The action begins well before the teams hit the field, and fans will immediately notice the enhancements to Tailgate Owley as soon as they arrive.
To create a more complete festival experience for our concert series, the Tailgate Owley Live stage has been moved to the center of Stadium Drive, just outside Gate 3. The grounds of Tailgate Owley open three hours before kickoff and will once again feature our live pregame preview show with J.P. Heath, Abby Mahoney, and special guests that gets underway at 3:30.
Fans will be able to enjoy food trucks, visit the Owls' Team Store, and pick up free offerings from a number of Rice partners while keeping track of the action around college football on a giant LED video board. At 3:45, fans can gather on Stadium Drive to greet the team during the Owl Walk as they walk from the buses to the Patterson Center to prepare for the game. Once the team is inside, the atmosphere ramps up with a live band on the Tailgate Owley Live stage at 4 p.m.
This season, Tailgate Owley Live will feature the Kyle Garrett Band, Shekere, The Damn Torpedoes, The Slags, Davey J and the Bourbon Street Band, and the Texas Eagles.
The gates to Rice Stadium open at 4:30 on Saturday, and younger Rice fans can visit the Sammy's Kids Zone inside Gate 3. The area has been refreshed with new inflatables, plus a face painter/balloon artist, tailgate games, face tattoos, and a marketing table handing out plenty of freebies. Youths who have already joined Sammy's Kids Club can pick up their membership materials, and others can sign up to join in the fun.
Fans can expect plenty of affordable options at the concession stands on the concourse at Rice Stadium this year, including hot dogs for only $4.99, popcorn for $3.99, and domestic / imported beer for $9.99. Grab-and-Go locations featuring traditional concession fare, including hot dogs, pizza, water, beer, soda, peanuts, popcorn, candy bars, and more.
Fans will experience an entirely new and improved pyro/firework presentation for the national anthem, team entrance, touchdowns, and post-game. For the first time, fireworks celebrating the Owls' touchdowns will be launched from both end zones of the stadium.
This season, fans can expect a presentation at every home game that is purposeful, engaging, energetic, and built to help our team win on the field! New features highlighting our incredible campus community, in-game hype videos, new fan cams, and more time for music, as well.
Abby Mahoney will once again be our in-game host, while our new hype man, Chinedu, will keep the atmosphere energized throughout every quarter of the six home games.
The action begins well before the teams hit the field, and fans will immediately notice the enhancements to Tailgate Owley as soon as they arrive.
To create a more complete festival experience for our concert series, the Tailgate Owley Live stage has been moved to the center of Stadium Drive, just outside Gate 3. The grounds of Tailgate Owley open three hours before kickoff and will once again feature our live pregame preview show with J.P. Heath, Abby Mahoney, and special guests that gets underway at 3:30.
Fans will be able to enjoy food trucks, visit the Owls' Team Store, and pick up free offerings from a number of Rice partners while keeping track of the action around college football on a giant LED video board. At 3:45, fans can gather on Stadium Drive to greet the team during the Owl Walk as they walk from the buses to the Patterson Center to prepare for the game. Once the team is inside, the atmosphere ramps up with a live band on the Tailgate Owley Live stage at 4 p.m.
This season, Tailgate Owley Live will feature the Kyle Garrett Band, Shekere, The Damn Torpedoes, The Slags, Davey J and the Bourbon Street Band, and the Texas Eagles.
The gates to Rice Stadium open at 4:30 on Saturday, and younger Rice fans can visit the Sammy's Kids Zone inside Gate 3. The area has been refreshed with new inflatables, plus a face painter/balloon artist, tailgate games, face tattoos, and a marketing table handing out plenty of freebies. Youths who have already joined Sammy's Kids Club can pick up their membership materials, and others can sign up to join in the fun.
Fans can expect plenty of affordable options at the concession stands on the concourse at Rice Stadium this year, including hot dogs for only $4.99, popcorn for $3.99, and domestic / imported beer for $9.99. Grab-and-Go locations featuring traditional concession fare, including hot dogs, pizza, water, beer, soda, peanuts, popcorn, candy bars, and more.
Fans will experience an entirely new and improved pyro/firework presentation for the national anthem, team entrance, touchdowns, and post-game. For the first time, fireworks celebrating the Owls' touchdowns will be launched from both end zones of the stadium.
This season, fans can expect a presentation at every home game that is purposeful, engaging, energetic, and built to help our team win on the field! New features highlighting our incredible campus community, in-game hype videos, new fan cams, and more time for music, as well.
Abby Mahoney will once again be our in-game host, while our new hype man, Chinedu, will keep the atmosphere energized throughout every quarter of the six home games.
Wednesday, March 09
Saturday, December 04
Thursday, December 02