Rice University tried to boost excitement in the stands on Saturday night by offering students free beer, ice cream, food vouchers and t-shirts. The idea was simple, show up, get a wristband and claim up to three Busch Light beers.
The giveaway created some excitement, but it didn’t help attendance or the final score. Out of 47,000 available seats, only 24,598 were filled. Many students had already gone home for Thanksgiving break. On top of that, North Texas dominated the game and beat Rice 56–24, so the crowd never grew the way the school hoped.
Rice planned the promotion knowing the timing could hurt turnout.…