The 2001 Rice Owls football team represented Rice University as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their eighth year under head coach Ken Hatfield, the Owls compiled an overall record of 8âÂÂ4 record with a mark of 5âÂÂ3 in conference play, tying for fourth in the WAC. The team played home games at Rice Stadium in Houston.