Rice Football announced three additions to the Owls' future schedules, with a home-and-home series with Duke and a second meeting with Houston Christian.

The Owls and Blue Devils will meet for the seventh time in history and the first since 2003 on September 4, 2027, at Rice Stadium and then complete the series with a game in Durham, North Carolina on September 7, 2030. Rice and Houston Christian, who will meet for the first time in football in the 2026 opening game (September 5), have added a second game to be played on September 1, 2029.

The addition of the game with Duke completes Rice's 2027 non-conference schedule as the Owls will follow the opener with the Blue Devils by hosting Fresno State on September 11, and Lamar on September 18 before wrapping up the non-conference slate at Western Michigan on September 25.

Rice and Duke first met in football in 1957 when the Blue Devils won 7-6 at Rice Stadium. Duke also won games in 1959, 1965 and 1992 before Rice broke through with a 15-13 win at Rice Stadium on September 8, 2001. The Blue Devils won the most recent meeting, 27-24 in overtime in Durham in 2003.