Rice Stadium

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Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium aerial view (January 2009)
Rice Stadium aerial view (January 2009)
Earlier names

Houston Stadium

Data
place 6100 South Main Street Houston , Texas 77005
United StatesUnited States 
Coordinates 29 ° 42 '59 "  N , 95 ° 24' 33"  W Coordinates: 29 ° 42 '59 "  N , 95 ° 24' 33"  W.
owner Rice University
operator Rice University
start of building February 1950
opening September 30, 1950
First game September 30, 1950
Rice Owls - Santa Clara Broncos 27: 7
surface Natural grass
(1950-1969)
artificial grass
(AstroTurf, 1970-2005)
(FieldTurf, 2006-2014)
(AstroTurf 3D60H Synthetic Turf since 2014)
costs 3,295,000 US dollars (1950)
architect Hermon Lloyd & WB Morgan and Milton McGinty
capacity 47,000 places
(expandable up to 70,000 places)
Societies)
Events
  • Super Bowl VIII (1974)
  • Bluebonnet Bowl (NCAA football, 1959-1967, 1985-1986)

The Rice Stadium is a college football - stadium on the campus of Rice University in the US city of Houston in the state of Texas . It used to be called Houston Stadium . It currently offers 47,000 places and can be expanded to 70,000 places.

history

The sports facility, which initially seats 70,000, has been the home of the Rice Owls , the university's NCAA college football team , since its completion in 1950 . The first game on September 30, 1950, the owls won against the Santa Clara Broncos with 27: 7 points. The AFL team played Houston Oilers at Rice Stadium from 1965 to 1967 .

From 2008, the Texas team should play in the All American Football League at Rice Stadium. However, the league never started playing.

In 2014 the artificial turf AstroTurf 3D60H Synthetic Turf was laid on the pitch of the stadium .

After the northern end zone was demolished in 2015, the Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center will be built there. The construction for 31.5 million US dollars , including changing rooms, weight room, offices, classrooms, lounges , sports medicine rooms with hydrotherapy and plunge pools, is to be completed by the start of the season in autumn 2016. The weight room and the sports medicine area will be available to all athletes at the university.

Super Bowl VIII

On January 13, 1974, Super Bowl VIII between the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins took place at this stadium. The game in front of 71,882 spectators ended 24: 7 for the Miami Dolphins. It was the first Super Bowl to be played in Houston, and 30 years later, the Super Bowl XXXVIII was the next Super Bowl in Houston. This Super Bowl was played in Reliant Stadium .

Speech by John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy's 1962 speech at Rice Stadium on the American space program

On September 12, 1962, American President John F. Kennedy gave a speech at Rice Stadium in which he challenged Americans to set a goal of sending a man to the moon by the end of the decade.

At the crowded football stadium at Rice University in Houston, he set out his vision of America's position in the battle for space in front of a cheering crowd:

“Why, many ask, the moon? Why should that be our goal? And you can also ask, why don't you climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago we flew across the Atlantic? We decided to fly to the moon. We have decided to come to the moon in this decade, not because it would be easy, but precisely because it is difficult, because this task will help us to use our best energies and skills, because we are ready to do them Accepting the challenge and not reluctantly putting it off and because we intend to win. "

Web links

Commons : Rice Stadium  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b riceowls.com: Dates and history of the stadium (English)
  2. RICE NOTEBOOK: Former Owls join AAFL's Team Texas , Houston Chronicle , February 19, 2008, accessed February 20, 2018.
  3. riceowls.com: Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center (English)