Tickets are now on sale for the Bayou Bucket, the annual football game event that determines bragging rights between the University of Houston and Rice University. Taking the game to a new level, this year’s contest sees the teams square off Sept. 5 in Reliant Stadium.

Naturally, each team wants to begin its season with a win, and playing a crosstown rival adds even more fire to the game.

“All games are very important,” said Art Briles, head football coach, “but the Rice game has special meaning because it is a city championship.”

Home to the NFL’s Houston Texans, Reliant Stadium will host the 31st meeting between the Cougars and the Owls, letting the players of both teams briefly taste what it’s like to play in a professional venue on Sundays.

“I think playing at Reliant Stadium adds some flavor to the game, and it might help draw some fans not associated with UH or Rice,” Briles said.

Nothing in sports riles fans up as much as rivalry games, but football fans in Houston can add some intensity to theirs by enjoying one of the few crosstown rivalries left in college football.

“Our goal is to make the UH-Rice game a big-time rivalry and event within the city of Houston,” said David Maggard, athletics director of the University of Houston.

Although UH and Rice would love for fans to show as much intensity in the stands as the players do on the field, interest has been hard to stir up. The Cougars have been to just two bowl games in the past 10 years — last year’s Hawaii Bowl and the 1996 Liberty Bowl. Rice has not visited the postseason since 1961.

Rivalries usually draw more interest when games are evenly matched, but the Cougars have won 22 of their match-ups against the Owls since the teams began playing in 1971. The Bayou Bucket trophy was not created until 1974.

Lately, though, the Owls have made the rivalry competitive by splitting the last eight games with the Cougars—so excitement about the game is on the rise.

“Reliant Stadium will work very hard to make the venue fan-friendly and a real event, with other activities around the football game,” said Maggard.

Tickets are $12, $17 and $27 and may be purchased at www.uhcougars.com or by phone at (713) 743-9444.

By Brian Campbell
bacampbe@central.uh.edu