The Rice Owls hope to prey upon the University of Houston Cougars in their first game of the season Saturday. But the real challenge of that sporting event might be the fans' quest for a parking space. Due to building construction on areas of campus that have traditionally been used for overflow parking, only 5,000 parking spaces are likely to be available for the more than 40,000 fans expected for Operation Sellout, the annual promotion for the premiere of football season at Rice. Bill Taylor, chief of Rice's police department, estimates that more than 16,000 cars will be competing for parking spaces that evening. The university has made an extra effort to accommodate the football crowd with several options.
Parking is free.
He encourages fans who prefer to drive to the game to carpool. He also recommends that they consider parking in one of the authorized lots at nearby churches and businesses and walking a few blocks to the stadium. Think of the time you could save just by parking further away to begin with. Maps and a list of alternate locations will be available at the entrances to Rice. The City of Houston has posted signs restricting parking to one side of the street in residential neighborhoods near Rice.