The 2023 Rice Owls football team represented Rice University and competed in their first season as members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by head coach Mike Bloomgren, who was coaching his sixth season with the team. The Owls played their home games at the Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Rice Owls football team drew an average home attendance of 20,542 in 2023.
The American Athletic Conference preseason poll was released on July 25. The Owls were predicted to finish twelfth in the conference.
Rice and the American Athletic Conference (AAC) announced the 2023 football schedule on February 21, 2023.