HOUSTON -- Rice today agreed to make its first bowl
appearance since 1961 -- by accepting a bid to the New Orleans
Bowl.
The Owls will represent Conference U-S-A against the Sun Belt
Conference champion December 22nd at the Superdome.
It's the first bowl game at the Superdome since Hurricane
Katrina swamped parts of New Orleans and other sections of the Gulf
coast in August of 2005.
Troy will be Rice's opponent if it beats Florida International
this week. A loss would give Middle Tennessee the berth.
Rice is 7-and-5 overall and 6-and-2 in conference after making a
stunning turnaround from last year's 1-and-10 season.
The Owls lost to Kansas in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston.
The New Orleans Bowl was played in Lafayette, Louisiana, last
season during recovery efforts from Katrina.