After much speculation, the UFL announced Friday morning that the Houston Roughnecks will be playing their home games at Rice Stadium for the 2024 season.
The Roughnecks spent the 2020 and 2023 XFL seasons playing at TDECU Stadium, which is home to the University of Houston Cougars. With the school making the move to the Big 12 Conference last season, the university announced last year they would be making upgrades to the stadium. With the project expected to be completed by the fall of 2025, the Roughnecks were out of a stadium.
Rice Stadium has been expected to be named the stadium since the offseason with the stadium also being in Houston. The 47,000-seat stadium is home to the Rice Owls football team and has been open since 1950.
Last season, the Roughnecks averaged 12,066 fans a game at TDECU Stadium. Their highest attendance of the season came in their South Division Finals loss to the Arlington Renegades, with 13,558 fans at the game. The Roughnecks had a 4-2 home record in the stadium last season, including the playoffs.
This iteration of the Houston Roughnecks will be different from the last two seasons, as the coaching staff and roster are the USFL’s Houston Gamblers after the leagues merged. The 2023 Houston Roughnecks were moved to San Antonio to take over the Brahmas.
The UFL season kicks off March 30 with the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions taking on the XFL champion Arlington Renegades.
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