American football players would much rather play in a full stadium than an empty one, even if it means reducing the seating capacity. Rice Stadium was built in 1950 with 70,000 seats but now accommodates around 47,000 fans due to end zone seating being covered for games. The Houston Business Journal reported that Rice University is considering a significant project to reduce the capacity of the stadium further.
Competitors such as Southern Methodist University (SMU), Tulane University and the University of Tulsa have capacities between 30,000 and 32,000 which may be similar to what Rice Stadium’s looks like after renovation. Last offseason saw $5 million worth of renovations at Rice Stadium including more comfortable seating options along with new scoreboards and upgraded lighting plus premium loge boxes – however shrinking its size will cost significantly more money so pricing needs to be considered before committing fully to this project.
