In The News

The 2020 Texas Kickoff featuring Baylor vs. Ole Miss is scheduled to kick off Sunday, Sept. 6, moving from the previously scheduled date of September 5. The game, played at NRG Stadium in Houston, is slated to be part of ESPN’s Labor Day weekend opening schedule, airing on an ESPN network.

The fifth installment of the annual Sunday holiday weekend game will mark Dave Aranda’s head coaching debut at Baylor and Lane Kiffin’s first game with Ole Miss as head coach. Baylor is currently ranked number 25 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings.

“ESPN’s Sunday game during kickoff weekend has quickly developed into a strong franchise,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of programming and ESPN Events. “We look forward to continuing that success as we feature two head coaches in their inaugural games with two great programs. We want to thank the schools and our Texas Kickoff team for recognizing this unique opportunity.”

Fans interested in tickets for the event can visit www.texaskickoff.com and sign up for the Priority Wait List to receive the most up to date information for when single game tickets and suites will be released.  Tickets are also available through Baylor Athletics and Ole Miss Athletics via their ticket offices.

Kickoff time and network designation for the matchup will be available at a later date. ESPN’s early-season college football schedule will be announced in the coming weeks as conferences and television networks continue to prepare for the college football season.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

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Media contacts

ESPN Events: Anna Negron at anna.m.negron@espn.com or 860-256-1757
Texas Kickoff: Allie LeClair at Allie.LeClair@houstontexans.com or 832-919-0655

HOUSTON: Rice and LSU will line up for an afternoon meeting on September 19 at NRG Stadium as kickoff for the first meeting between the two schools in Houston since 1983 has been set for 2:30 p.m. to accommodate television scheduling.

Final broadcast details for the game will be announced in the near future.

Tickets for the defending national champion's first regular season appearance in Houston since facing the Owls in 1983 will go on a sale on Friday, May 15 with a portion of ticket sales between now and the end of May benefiting COVID-19 relief efforts in Houston.

Tickets start as low as $35 and will be available online on Friday, however interested fans can sign up for a special pre-sale on Thursday by registering in advance.

The Owls and Tigers will resume their series in Houston that began in 1915. This will be the 57th meeting between the two schools overall. The schools met continuously from 1932-52 and then again from 1955-83 and renewed the series in 2018 when Rice traveled to Baton Rouge. This will be the first time Rice has hosted a defending national champion since 2006 when the Owls hosted Texas at then-Reliant Stadium.
 
Season tickets for the Owls 2020 campaign, which include the Rice-LSU game as well as six games at Rice Stadium, are also currently on sale.

www.RiceOwls.com/news | 5/13/2020 |11:26:00 AM | By Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)

Each college football game played on the field at NRG Stadium features future NFL stars, they just don’t know it yet. This year, 29 players from LSSE events were drafted to the NFL and more have now been signed as undrafted free agents.

View Photo Gallery

Texas A&M – Texas Bowl 2019, Texas Bowl 2016

1. Justin Madubuike – Baltimore Ravens – Round 3, Pick 71

2. Braden Mann – New York Jets – Round 6, Pick 191

Texas – Rice vs UT 2019, Texas Bowl 2017

3. Brandon Jones – Miami Dolphins – Round 3, pick 70

4. Devin Duvernay – Baltimore Ravens – Round 3, Pick92

5. Collin Johnson – Jacksonville Jaguars – Round 5, Pick 165

Houston – Texas Kickoff 2019

6. Josh Jones – Arizona Cardinals – Round 3, Pick 72

Washington State - Texas Kickoff 2019

7. Dezmon Patmon – Indianapolis Colts – Round 6, Pick 212

Baylor – Texas Bowl 2018

8. Denzel Mims – New York Jets – Round 2, Pick 59

9. James Lynch – Minnesota Vikings – Round 4, Pick 130

10. Bravvion Roy – Carolina Panthers – Round 6, Pick 184

11. Clay Johnston – Los Angeles Rams – Round 7, Pick 234

Vanderbilt – Texas Bowl 2018

12. Ke’Shawn Vaughn – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Round 3, Pick 76

Texas Tech – Texas Kickoff 2018

13. Jordyn Brooks – Seattle Seahawks – Round 1, Pick 27

14. Broderick Washington Jr. – Baltimore Ravens – Round 5, Pick 170

Missouri – Texas Bowl 2017

15. Jordan Elliott – Cleveland Browns – Round 3, Pick 88

16. Albert Okwuegbunam – Denver Broncos – Round 4, Pick 118

LSU – Texas Kickoff 2017

17. K’Lavon Chaisson – Jacksonville Jaguars – Round 1, Pick 20

18. Justin Jefferson – Minnesota Vikings – Round 1, Pick 22

19. Patrick Queen – Baltimore Ravens – Round 1, Pick 28

20. Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Kansas City Chiefs – Round 1, Pick 32

21. Grant DeLpit – Cleveland Browns – Round 2, Pick 44

22. Kristian Fulton – Tennessee Titans – Round 2, Pick 61

23. Lloyd Cushenberry – Denver Broncos – Round 3, Pick 83

24. Jacob Phillips – Cleveland Browns – Round 3, Pick 97

25. Saahdiq Charles – Washington Redskins – Round 4, pick 108

26. Rashard Lawrence – Arizona Cardinals – Round 4, Pick 131

27. Blake Ferguson – Miami Dolphins – Round 6, Pick 185

28. Stephen Sullivan – Seattle Seahawks – Round 7, Pick 251

Oklahoma – Texas Kickoff 2016

29. Neville Gallimore – Dallas Cowboys – Round 3, Pick 82

Get your college football fix this fall at NRG Stadium and don’t miss your chance to see the NFL stars of the future while they wear their college uniforms.

2020 Texas Kickoff: Ole Miss vs Baylor, September 5

Rice vs LSU, September 19

95^th Battle of the Piney Woods: SFA vs Sam Houston State, October 3

2020 Texas Bowl: teams announced in December, December 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018

Coach to Discuss Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl in Conference Call Today

HOUSTON – Baylor University has accepted the bid to play in the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, the bowl organizing committee announced today. Baylor will represent the Big 12 Conference. The 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will be played on Thursday, Dec. 27, at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

“We are thrilled to announce the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl Big 12 representative Baylor University, an excellent institution,” remarked Board Chair June Deadrick.  “The Bowl has grown into one of the largest annual events in our community and we’re excited to welcome Baylor to Houston.  We look forward to hosting the Bears and their passionate fan base for a festive bowl week of Texas-themed events that will culminate in a primetime showdown at NRG Stadium on December 27.”

Ticket prices for this game range from $25-200 and may be purchased online at www.academytexasbowl.com or www.ticketmaster.com, on the phone at 832-667-2390 or in person at the NRG Stadium box office inside Bud Light Plaza. Special group packages are available by calling 832-667-2390. Fans can also call 832-667-2160 for more information on suites and premium hospitality. To date, nearly 50,000 seats have already been sold for the 2018 game.

The 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will mark Baylor’s first visit since 2010 after a 38-14 loss to the University of Illinois. The team became bowl-eligible after a win over Texas Tech in the regular season finale. With a history of 23 bowl appearances, the Bears are 12-11 overall in postseason play. In their second season under Head Coach Matt Rhule, the team finished their regular season with a 6-6 overall record and 4-5 in the Big 12. After navigating a young roster through a difficult Big 12 schedule, Coach Rhule followed a one-win season with a six-win, bowl-bound year. The Baylor offense ranks 8th nationally with an average of 25.1 first downs per game (301 total).

Conference Call Information

The head coach for Baylor University will conduct a conference call this evening to discuss the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl. Baylor University Head Coach Matt Rhule will be available at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Phone Number: 1 (800) 747-5150

Participant PIN:  6672050

Availability:

• Baylor University Head Coach Matt Rhule at 5:30 p.m. CT

ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS TEXAS BOWL

The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events and managed locally by Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. The Bowl will showcase teams from the Big 12 and the SEC, two of the country’s premier conferences, for the next two years. The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success both on and off the field over the years. The game has ranked fourth in attendance since 2014 behind only the Rose, Cotton and Peach Bowls in that time. In terms of its community impact, the bowl has generated an average of $50 million annually for the Houston economy and through its relationship with DePelchin Children’s Center, its official charitable beneficiary, more than $1.4 million in financial support has been donated to the city’s oldest children’s charity.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Florida); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); DXL Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); The Home Depot College Football Awards Presented by Gildan (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s  Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (Hartford, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 presented by State Farm (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off; State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

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ESPN Media Contact: Anna Negron at 860-766-2233 or anna.m.negron@espn.com

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the 2017 Manchester Derby, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. LSSE has also reinvigorated the Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State and has promoted major concerts featuring country superstars including George Strait and Kenny Chesney.

CONTACTS:

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl Contact: Allie LeClair, (832) 667-2050 or allie.leclair@houstontexans.com

ESPN Media Contact: Anna Negron, (860) 766-2233 or anna.m.negron@espn.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY AND VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY ACCEPT BIDS TO PLAY IN ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS TEXAS BOWL

Coaches to Discuss Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl in Conference Calls Today

HOUSTON – Baylor and Vanderbilt have accepted bids to play in the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, the bowl organizing committee announced today. Baylor will represent the Big 12 Conference and Vanderbilt will represent the Southeastern Conference. The 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will be played on Thursday, Dec. 27, at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

“We are thrilled to announce the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl between the Baylor Bears and the Vanderbilt Commodores, two excellent institutions from the Big 12 and SEC,” remarked Board Chair June Deadrick. “The Bowl has grown into one of the largest annual events in our community and we’re excited to welcome Baylor and Vanderbilt to Houston. We look forward to hosting these teams and their passionate fan bases for a festive bowl week of Texas-themed events that will culminate in a primetime showdown at NRG Stadium on December 27.”

Baylor and Vanderbilt have met two times, with the Bears holding the series with a 2-0 record. The two programs first met in 1953 when Baylor was victorious 47-6. The last meeting occurred in 1954 when the Bears came out on top, 25-19.

Ticket prices for this game range from $25-200 and may be purchased online at www.academytexasbowl.com or www.ticketmaster.com, on the phone at 832-667-2390 or in person at the NRG Stadium box office inside Bud Light Plaza. Special group packages are available by calling 832-667-2390. Fans can also call 832-667-2160 for more information on suites and premium hospitality. To date, nearly 50,000 seats have already been sold for the 2018 game.

The 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will mark Baylor’s first visit since 2010 after a 38-14 loss to the University of Illinois. The team became bowl-eligible after a win over Texas Tech in the regular season finale. With a history of 23 bowl appearances, the Bears are 12-11 overall in postseason play. In their second season under Head Coach Matt Rhule, the team finished their regular season with a 6-6 overall record and 4-5 in the Big 12. After navigating a young roster through a difficult Big 12 schedule, Coach Rhule followed a one-win season with a six-win, bowl-bound year. The Baylor offense ranks 8th nationally with an average of 25.1 first downs per game (301 total).

The 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will be the Commodores’ first visit. Vanderbilt returns to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The team’s bowl berth marks the program's ninth all-time appearance, and its sixth in the past 10 seasons. The Commodores are 4-3-1 all-time in postseason play and seek their first bowl victory since a 41-24 win over Houston in the 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl. Vanderbilt finished their regular season with a 6-6 record and 3-5 in the SEC in their fifth season under Head Coach Derek Mason. Mason is just the second coach in program history to send Vanderbilt to two bowls in a three-season span.

Conference Call Information

The head coaches for Baylor University and Vanderbilt University will conduct conference calls this evening to discuss the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl. Baylor’s Head Coach Matt Rhule will be available at 5:30 p.m. CT and Vanderbilt’s Head Coach Derek Mason will be available at 5:45 p.m. CT.

Phone Number: 1 (800) 747-5150

Participant PIN: 6672050

Availability:

• Baylor University Head Coach Matt Rhule at 5:30 p.m. CT
• Vanderbilt University Head Coach Derek Mason at 5:45 p.m. CT

ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS TEXAS BOWL The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events and managed locally by Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. The Bowl will showcase teams from the Big 12 and the SEC, two of the country’s premier conferences, for the next two years. The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success both on and off the field over the years. The game has ranked fourth in attendance since 2014 behind only the Rose, Cotton and Peach Bowls in that time. In terms of its community impact, the bowl has generated an average of $50 million annually for the Houston economy and through its relationship with DePelchin Children’s Center, its official charitable beneficiary, more than $1.4 million in financial support has been donated to the city’s oldest children’s charity.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Florida); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); DXL Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); The Home Depot College Football Awards Presented by Gildan (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (Hartford, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 presented by State Farm (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off; State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

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ESPN Media Contact: Anna Negron at 860-766-2233 or anna.m.negron@espn.com

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the 2017 Manchester Derby, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. LSSE has also reinvigorated the Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State and has promoted major concerts featuring country superstars including George Strait and Kenny Chesney.

CONTACTS: Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl Contact: Allie LeClair, (832) 667-2050 or allie.leclair@houstontexans.com ESPN Media Contact: Anna Negron, (860) 766-2233 or anna.m.negron@espn.com