5/21/03

Texas and Rice to meet at Reliant Stadium

» 2003 Texas schedule

	Reliant Stadium

AUSTIN, Texas - When former Southwest Conference foes Texas and Rice meet for the 86th time on the gridiron on Sat., Sept. 20, 2003, it will be at the state-of-the-art facility Reliant Stadium (capacity: 69,500) in Houston. The fact that the game will be played at the home of the Houston Texans and the site of Super Bowl XXXVIII will be officially announced on Thurs., May 22, at a luncheon/press conference at Reliant Stadium.

The event has officially been tabbed "Old Traditions Renewed." Tickets for the luncheon/press conference may be purchased by contacting Ticketmaster (713-629-3700/www.ticketmaster.com), at the Rice University ticket office or the Reliant Park box office. Prices range from $32 to $72.

"One of the key points of emphasis for us in recruiting is to encourage Texas kids to stay in the state," said UT head coach Mack Brown. "Having the chance to play a traditional game like Texas-Rice in a great place like Reliant Stadium gives us the opportunity to allow our kids to play in front of a lot of their high school coaches as well as family, friends and fans."

Reliant Stadium is the first NFL stadium to feature a retractable roof. The retractable roof is able to open and close in 10 minutes.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our fans," said Texas Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds. "To have the chance to play in a city where so many of our supporters can be a part of the event and in one of the finest facilities in the World is something we're really looking forward to."

Texas and Rice first met in 1914 and the Longhorns hold a 63-21-1 series advantage. The last time the Horns and Owls played was 1999 when UT posted an 18-13 win.

Tickets for the game are expected to go on sale this Saturday (May 24) with prices ranging from $32 to $72. For more information contact Ticketmaster (713-629-3700/www.ticketmaster.com).