In addition, Applewhite said a crosstown rivalry offers another home date for both schools to recruit in their backyard.
“It gives us and Rice another opportunity to play in the city in front of recruits and high schools they recruit very hard as well,” he said. “It’s a total positive for our city and both universities.”
In the words of Allen Iverson, we talking about practice. The Owls and Cougars spent most of the middle part of the 20th century not playing each other. Rice, an established member of the Southwest Conference, was in no hurry to acknowledge their cross-town companion. The two wouldn’t play an actual game until 1971. In 1941 the two school arranged to practice against each other during spring practice. The Cougars loaded up their buses and drove to Rice for practice. Instead, the Owls arranged for officials, and 11,000 spectators showed up to watch the festivities. The two wouldn’t meet again for 30 years.