# Rice–SMU football rivalry

The Rice–SMU football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Rice University Owls and Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The game was first played in 1916, and since 1998 the winner was awarded the Mayor's Cup. SMU leads the series 49–41–1.

## History

The football squads of Rice University and Southern Methodist University, two of the smallest schools in NCAA Division I FBS, first played in 1916, with Rice winning 146–3. In 1918, both schools joined the Southwest Conference, and from 1926 they played every year except for 1987 and 1988, after the NCAA gave SMU's football program the "death penalty" following a cheating scandal. They played in the same conference until 2012, beginning with the Southwest (1918–1995), then the Western Athletic Conference (1996–2005) and Conference USA (2005–2012). The two teams have met 91 times, with SMU leading 49–41–1.

## Mayor's Cup

In 1998 a traveling trophy, the "Mayor's Cup", was introduced to the series, and has been awarded to the winner each year. SMU currently holds the trophy after the 2023 game, but Rice leads the trophy series 9–7. However, SMU and Rice did not play each other from 2013-2022 as SMU left Conference USA for the American Athletic Conference for the 2013 season. On June 15, 2022, Rice announced they would be officially joining the American for the 2023 season, renewing the series. On November 9, 2022, the American announced the football scheduling model for the 2023–26 seasons, with Rice–SMU scheduled to meet in 2023, 2024, and 2026.
However, on September 1, 2023, SMU accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference starting in 2024, which once again puts the future of the Mayor's Cup in doubt.

## Game results

| Rice victories | SMU victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | November 17, 1916 | Rice Field | Rice | 146–3 |
| 2 | November 30, 1918 | Rice Field | Rice | 13–0 |
| 3 | November 8, 1919 | Rice Field | Rice | 21–14 |
| 4 | November 6, 1920 | Armstrong Field | Rice | 10–0 |
| 5 | November 5, 1921 | Rice Field | Rice | 7–0 |
| 6 | November 6, 1926 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 20–0 |
| 7 | October 14, 1927 | Rice Field | SMU | 34–6 |
| 8 | October 20, 1928 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 53–13 |
| 9 | November 23, 1929 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 34–0 |
| 10 | November 22, 1930 | Rice Field | SMU | 32–0 |
| 11 | October 17, 1931 | Rice Field | SMU | 21–12 |
| 12 | October 8, 1932 | Ownby Stadium | Rice | 13–0 |
| 13 | October 14, 1933 | Rice Field | SMU | 13–7 |
| 14 | October 13, 1934 | Rice Field | Rice | 9–0 |
| 15 | October 19, 1935 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 10–0 |
| 16 | December 5, 1936 | Rice Field | SMU | 9–0 |
| 17 | December 4, 1937 | Ownby Stadium | Rice | 15–7 |
| 18 | December 3, 1938 | Rice Field | Rice | 25–14 |
| 19 | December 9, 1939 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 13–6 |
| 20 | December 7, 1940 | Rice Field | #16 SMU | 7–6 |
| 21 | December 6, 1941 | Ownby Stadium | Rice | 6–0 |
| 22 | December 5, 1942 | Rice Field | Rice | 13–7 |
| 23 | October 16, 1943 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 12–0 |
| 24 | October 21, 1944 | Rice Field | Rice | 21–10 |
| 25 | October 20, 1945 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 21–18 |
| 26 | October 19, 1946 | Rice Field | #16 Rice | 21–7 |
| 27 | October 18, 1947 | Ownby Stadium | SMU | 14–0 |
| 28 | October 16, 1948 | Rice Field | #14 SMU | 33–7 |
| 29 | October 15, 1949 | Cotton Bowl | Rice | 41–27 |
| 30 | October 21, 1950 | Rice Stadium | #3 SMU | 42–21 |
| 31 | October 20, 1951 | Cotton Bowl | Rice | 28–7 |
| 32 | October 18, 1952 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 21–14 |
| 33 | October 17, 1953 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 12–7 |
| 34 | October 16, 1954 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 20–6 |
| 35 | October 15, 1955 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 20–0 |
| 36 | October 20, 1956 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 14–13 |
| 37 | October 19, 1957 | Cotton Bowl | #19 Rice | 27–21 |
| 38 | October 18, 1958 | Cotton Bowl | Rice | 13–7 |
| 39 | October 17, 1959 | Rice Stadium | Tie | 13–13 |
| 40 | October 15, 1960 | Cotton Bowl | Rice | 47–0 |
| 41 | October 21, 1961 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 10–0 |
| 42 | October 20, 1962 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 15–7 |
| 43 | October 19, 1963 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 13–7 |
| 44 | October 17, 1964 | Cotton Bowl | Rice | 7–6 |
| 45 | October 16, 1965 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 17–14 |
| 46 | October 15, 1966 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 28–24 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 47 | October 21, 1967 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 14–10 |
| 48 | October 19, 1968 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 32–24 |
| 49 | October 18, 1969 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 34–14 |
| 50 | October 17, 1970 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 10–0 |
| 51 | October 16, 1971 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 16–0 |
| 52 | October 21, 1972 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 29–14 |
| 53 | October 20, 1973 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 27–16 |
| 54 | October 19, 1974 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 19–14 |
| 55 | October 18, 1975 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 28–17 |
| 56 | November 6, 1976 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 41–34 |
| 57 | November 5, 1977 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 41–24 |
| 58 | November 11, 1978 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 58–0 |
| 59 | September 8, 1979 | Texas Stadium | SMU | 35–17 |
| 60 | November 8, 1980 | Rice Stadium | #18 SMU | 34–14 |
| 61 | November 7, 1981 | Texas Stadium | #10 SMU | 33–12 |
| 62 | November 6, 1982 | Rice Stadium | #2 SMU | 41–14 |
| 63 | November 5, 1983 | Texas Stadium | #8 SMU | 20–6 |
| 64 | November 10, 1984 | Rice Stadium | #17 SMU | 31–17 |
| 65 | November 9, 1985 | Texas Stadium | SMU | 40–15 |
| 66 | September 13, 1986 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 45–3 |
| 67 | September 2, 1989 | Ownby Stadium | Rice | 35–6 |
| 68 | November 10, 1990 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 30–28 |
| 69 | November 9, 1991 | Ownby Stadium | Rice | 31–10 |
| 70 | October 10, 1992 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 28–13 |
| 71 | November 6, 1993 | Ownby Stadium | Rice | 31–24 |
| 72 | November 5, 1994 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 17–10 |
| 73 | October 28, 1995 | Cotton Bowl | Rice | 34–24 |
| 74 | October 19, 1996 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 35–17 |
| 75 | November 1, 1997 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 24–6 |
| 76 | September 9, 1998 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 23–17$^{OT}$ |
| 77 | October 30, 1999 | Cotton Bowl | SMU | 27–2 |
| 78 | November 4, 2000 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 43–14 |
| 79 | November 24, 2001 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | SMU | 37–20 |
| 80 | October 26, 2002 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 27–15 |
| 81 | November 15, 2003 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | Rice | 41–20 |
| 82 | October 9, 2004 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 44–10 |
| 83 | November 5, 2005 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | SMU | 27–7 |
| 84 | November 25, 2006 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 31–27 |
| 85 | November 10, 2007 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | Rice | 43–42 |
| 86 | August 29, 2008 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 56–27 |
| 87 | November 7, 2009 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | SMU | 31–28 |
| 88 | October 2, 2010 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 42–31 |
| 89 | November 26, 2011 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | SMU | 27–24 |
| 90 | November 17, 2012 | Rice Stadium | Rice | 36–14 |
| 91 | November 4, 2023 | Rice Stadium | SMU | 36–31 |
| Series: SMU leads 49–41–1 |||||