Rice rewarded with in-state bowl game as Owls face Texas State in Dallas

DALLAS, Texas (KTRK) -- Leave it up to a world-class institution like Rice University to point to a history lesson as a reward for an athletic accomplishment.

Among the reasons Rice head football coach Mike Bloomgren is so excited to take his team to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is the opportunity for some of his student-athletes to soak in the history of downtown Dallas.

"The hotel we're staying in is right down the street from the Grassy Knoll," Bloomgren revealed during a Zoom interview with ABC13. "Some of our kids have never been to Dallas. We're going to get some history lessons in there."

The Grassy Knoll is located in Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Rice has a longstanding connection to JFK - ever since the former president delivered a famous speech in 1962 inside Rice Stadium that launched the race to the moon.

The Rice football team will also be embarking on a different type of history when the Owls face Texas State on Dec. 26.

For the third time in program history, Rice will play in a bowl game in consecutive seasons.

"Going to a bowl game last year, it was all of our kids' first time," Bloomgren noted. "It was a huge deal for our kids. They got a little taste of bowl life, and they wanted a bigger piece. They earned the right to go. Anytime we play a team from Texas, it's a big deal. Our kids know their kids."

Last season, Rice played in the Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. This year's trip, being a game in Texas, is viewed as a reward for Rice.

"With how many of our guys are from Dallas, it's a big deal for them to be around their family and friends," Bloomgren shared. "We also have a handful of recruits in the DFW area, so it will be great for them to see Rice in the news. I think Rice is going to try to take over Dallas."

The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will kick off at 4:30 p.m. and be broadcast nationally on ESPN. It will be the Owls' 14th appearance in a bowl game. Rice has a 7-6 record in bowl games in its history, which began in 1938 when the Owls defeated Colorado, 28-13, in the 2nd annual Cotton Bowl.

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