Athletic renaissance puts Rice in the vanguard

How much respect does Rice athletics command nationally? It’s a question that I never gave much thought until recently, but it has been a pleasant surprise for me to learn that the national reputation of Rice athletics is quite strong. Yes, the recent bowl berth helps, but reputation requires a lot more than one winning season in one sport.

As a former Rice athlete now outside the hedges and at the University of Chicago med school, I would like to provide a glimpse of what individuals and groups outside of the hedges think about athletics at Rice.

This being my final year of school, I spent several weeks interviewing for residency positions around the country. One of the things I noticed was that people with no ties to Rice already know it is a good school academically, but it is the addition of a successful athletics program that really impresses them.

Repeatedly, I found myself chatting with fellow residency applicants between interviews. During casual conversation I would hear, “Rice, didn’t they make it to a bowl game this year? Who’d they play again?”. Of course, that is in addition to, “I watched them in the College Worlds Series”, and an occasional comment about “… buckyballs-or-something-like-that.” You can’t buy that kind of good publicity.

And all of that publicity is good for Rice’s future. These were graduates of Ivy League and similar quality schools and not unlike typical Rice graduates in that they are highly intelligent and value education heavily. In the next two to three decades, they will raise children with the potential to make up the next generation of Rice students. These are exactly the people Rice needs and wants to reach as it builds on its proud tradition of excellence.

One interview, in particular, stands out in my memory. Three weeks ago, I interviewed at Harvard, where a lot of pressure is put on one particular interview. The school’s executive committee consists of five of the biggest names in the field of orthopedic surgery. Four were department chairmen from the major academic hospitals in Boston, and the fifth was the program director.

Five-on-one. You have to know every word of your application because they scrutinize it. They are known to fire questions quickly and change topics rapidly. You must keep pace. You must be succinct, thorough and fast.

Here’s how they began my interview: Tell us about your experience as a student athlete at Rice. They could have asked me anything, but that is where they wanted to start. I briefly described what I had done during my athletic and academic career at Rice. It set the tone for what turned out to be a very positive interview.

The history of athletics at my current school provides an interesting contrast. University of Chicago used to have a great college football team. A founding member of the Big Ten, the school holds an undefeated record against Notre Dame. But in the late 1930s, President Robert Hutchins dropped the football program and the athletics program never recovered.

As I write this, I have no idea how the University of Chicago’s football team, reinstated in 1969 in Division III, did this year. While Chicago’s undergraduate academic resources rival those at Rice, its athletics pale in comparison.

Ironically, the entrance to the University of Chicago’s athletics facility proudly displays the first Heisman Trophy, awarded to Jay Berwanger in 1935.

Indeed, the golden age of athletics at U. Chicago is long gone. The focus is on the past, whereas at Rice, the focus is on the future.

Few, if any, other schools can claim the same levels of integrity and athletic and academic excellence. Rice should continue to lead and be an exemplar for other collegiate athletics programs. Indeed, a strong argument could be made right now that Rice is the flagship for student athletics nationally.

Even the recent departure of Todd Graham as head football coach places Rice in a positive light. Athletic Director Chris Del Conte and President David Leebron responded appropriately. When head coach Todd Graham wanted more money, they took the high road. See ya, Todd. You aren’t one of us after all… We’ll go find someone who is.

Rice athletics continues to impress me and make me proud. To the former student athletes who have made Rice athletics what it is today, thank you. To the current student athletes who strive to maintain and further elevate that heritage, you make this alumnus proud. Keep up the good work. It will serve you well when you enter life outside of Rice. You are getting more attention than you realize.

Thomas Ring graduated from Jones College in 2002 and was on the track and cross country teams.

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