On a trip to Hawaii with the 2000 Owls Ron Lassiter, Hanszen 1955, noticed something peculiar. Sitting at Cheeseburger in Paradise with his wife, Ella Lee, and members of the athletic department administration, Mr. Lassiter watched player after player walk into the Jack in the Box across the street to eat dinner. Having played college football for the Owls, he realized that Jack in the Box is not exactly the well-balanced meal elite athletes should be eating. Turning to the members of his dinner party, Mr. Lassiter asked why our team was eating fast food. He was told that the NCAA mandated meal money was insufficient for three meals a day.

Surely, there had to be a way around this? Apparently, other elite programs across the country were able to supplement this meal money through fundraising. Why, Mr. Lassiter wanted to know, weren’t we supplementing meal money like everyone else? The answer, he was told, was that no one had taken up the cause.

Upon their return to Houston Mr. Lassiter, four other supporters of the Rice baseball program, and Coach Graham met to address this issue. From that meeting the RBI Club was born.

RBI stands for Rice Baseball Insider and its sole purpose is to support Rice baseball through financial contributions. The RBI Club currently has 84 members. The money raised by RBI is used any way Coach Graham sees fit. The primary benefit of RBI Club membership is to be a part of the greatest athletic program in Rice history and to know your contribution will help keep the program at this level. Club members also receive special insight about the team through an annual special meeting in a social setting with Coach Graham.

Membership dues are $1,000 or more per year for those over 30 years of age and $500 per year for those under 30 years of age.

A personal note from RUBPA board members Steven Herce and Austin Davis:

RBI Club was formed half-way through our tenure at Rice and the difference was incredible. When we traveled to San Jose, California, before RBI Club we stayed in a very nice Embassy Suites with a Denny’s across the street. There was not another restaurant within walking distance. We would play a 7:00 game and get back to the hotel around 10:45, at which point we were cut loose until our midnight curfew. The entire team headed over to Denny’s.

Once the money raised by the RBI Club was paying for team meals, we would return at 10:45 from our 7:00 game and shower up and head to Chili’s for a team meal. Forgetting the nutritional benefits for a minute, these team meals contributed greatly to team chemistry as well.

We need more former players to get involved with RBI. Those of you that never benefited from RBI can surely understand its benefits. Those of us that have benefited from RBI need to repay that debt. Come out to the final day of Fall Ball this year – scheduled for October 29 – for burgers and conversation. You’ll get to meet the current team, other Rice baseball supporters, and you’ll come away with a better feel for the RBI Club and what it does. At the very least, you’ll get an afternoon of free food, good conversation, and Rice baseball.

To learn more about the RBI Club or to have specific questions answered, please contact RUBPA and we will see that your questions are answered.

Go Owls!