Life is suite when you're a Houston Texans Luxe member

The Luxe Life

Get the best seat in the house. Photo courtesy of Luxe

There's watching a Houston Texans game at NRG Stadium, and then there's watching the game from one of the very posh, very exclusive, very worth it Texans Luxe suites.

But this isn't your typical suite experience — Luxe memberships go beyond just fancy seats for 10 home games each year.

Your membership is not confined to gameday, though you'll definitely want to be there during kickoff. There are also private, Luxe member-only outings that the general public can't access.

Here's a breakdown of what it's like cheering on the Texans from a Houston Texans suite, and what other perks come with the oh-so-coveted Luxe membership:

See what it feels like to be part of the team. Photo courtesy of Luxe

The Suite Life
Get ready for an unparalleled gameday experience that starts with valet parking options, a private red-carpet entrance to NRG Stadium, and ends on the field with the BMW Postgame Experience.

A personal suite attendant is on hand to serve drinks and food while also tidying up. Members can cater mouthwatering snacks and meals that source as many ingredients locally as possible, and can accommodate all dietary preferences.

There are even collaborations with some of Houston’s finest chefs and restaurants, including James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd, local barbecue legend Ronnie Killen, six-time James Beard Award finalist Hugo Ortega, local favorite Goode Company, and eatery Anthonie’s Market Grill. You'll only find these one-of-a-kind menu items at NRG Stadium.

Worried about over-ordering drinks? Each suite comes with a locking liquor cabinet to store any leftover drinks until the next game.

Look to TV screens equipped with NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone to catch all the action. Texans cheerleaders can also stop by for a visit.

Take a virtual walk-through of Suite 233 here.

Members Only
Luxe Members gain invites year-round to other exclusive events and opportunities you won’t find anywhere else.

Imagine traveling in style to a Texans road game as a guest on the team plane, watching Texans training camp from a private tent, or receiving a post-draft recap from general manager Nick Caserio.

Members get the opportunity to enjoy the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo from the Founder’s Suite, as well as an invite to the Business Partner Invitational Golf Tournament at Bluejack National.

Another eagerly anticipated event is Texans Luxe Minicamp, where members get an overview of all their benefits and learn about new menu options.

Finally, you’ll want to clear your schedule for the Luxe Dinner series, held at the most esteemed restaurants with a Texans Luxe Chef twist.

Members can also host their own private event at NRG Stadium on a non-game day. Choose from your suite, a Texans boardroom, or anywhere around NRG Park.

And, of course, incredible networking opportunities abound among the more than 150 Luxe members, many of whom are Houston's most influential business leaders. Each member is assigned a Texans Luxe Partnership Service Coordinator, who acts as your point person and helps facilitate meetings and introductions. You might just form your new best partnership!

All the Options
Single-game suites are also available — you can even purchase them through BitWallet, the official digital currency wallet of the Houston Texans — but keep in mind you'll be missing out on all the cool bonuses listed above.

Options are available now for the 2022-23 NFL season, and you won't want to miss out on the chance to join the Texans Luxe family. Please fill out this form to be contacted for more information. You can also call Andrew Vitale at 713-724-7732 or email him at Andrew.Vitale@HoustonTexans.com to schedule a meeting.

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2 Houston universities declared among world’s best in 2026 rankings

Declaring the Best

Two Houston universities are in a class of their own, earning top spots on a new global ranking of the world's best universities.

Rice University and University of Houston are among the top 1,200 schools included in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Ten more schools across Texas make the list.

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), a London-based provider of higher education data and analytics, compiles the prestigious list each year; the 2026 edition includes more than 1,500 universities from around the world. Factors used to rank the schools include academic reputation; employer reputation; faculty-student ratio; faculty research; and international research, students, and faculty.

In Texas, University of Texas at Austin lands at No. 1 in the state, No. 20 in the U.S., and No. 68 globally.

Houston's Rice University is close behind as Texas' No. 2 school. It ranks 29th in the U.S. and No. 119 in the world. Unlike UT, which fell two spots globally this year (from No. 66 to 68), Rice climbed up the charts, moving from 141st last year to No. 119.

University of Houston impresses as Texas' 4th highest-ranked school. It lands at No. 80 in the U.S. and No. 556 globally, also climbing about 100 spots up the chart.

Rice and UH are on a roll in regional, national, and international rankings this year.

Rice earned top-15 national rankings by both Niche.com and Forbes last fall. Rice claimed No. 1 and UH ranked No. 8 in Texas in U.S. News & World Report's 2025 rankings. Rice also topped WalletHub's 2025 list of the best colleges and universities in Texas for 2025.

More recently, in April, both UH and Rice made U.S. News' 2025 list of top grad schools.

In all, 192 U.S. universities made the 2026 QS World University Rankings — the most of any country. Topping the global list is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“The results show that while U.S. higher education remains the global leader, its dominance is increasingly challenged by fast-rising emerging systems,” says the QS World University Rankings report. “A decade ago, 32 American universities [were] featured in the world’s top 100; today, that number has dropped to 26, and only 11 of these institutions have improved their position this year."

The 12 Texas universities that appear in the QS World University Rankings 2026 list are:

University of Texas at Austin, No. 20 in the U.S. and No. 68 in the world (down from No. 66 last year).
Rice University, No. 29 in the U.S. and No. 119 in the world (up from No. 141 last year).
Texas A&M University, No. 32 in the U.S. and No. 144 in the world (up from No. 154 last year).
University of Houston, No. 80 in the U.S. and No. 556 in the world (up from 651-660 last year).
University of Texas at Dallas, No. 85 in the U.S. and No. 597 in the world (down from 596 last year).
Texas Tech University, No. 104 in the U.S. and No. 731-740 in the world (unchanged from last year).
University of North Texas, No. 123 in the U.S. and No. 901-950 in the world (up from 1,001-1,200 last year)
Baylor University, tied for No. 136 in the U.S. and at No. 1,001-1,200 in the world (unchanged from last year).
Southern Methodist University, tied for No. 136 in the U.S. and at 1,001-1,200 in the world (unchanged from last year).
University of Texas Arlington, tied for No. 136 in the U.S. and at 1,001-1,200 in the world (unchanged from last year).
University of Texas at San Antonio, tied for No. 136 in the U.S. and at 1,001-1,200 in the world (unchanged from last year).
University of Texas at El Paso, No. 172 in the U.S. and at 1,201-1,400 in the world (down from 1,001-1,200 last year).

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston students develop new device to prepare astronauts for outer space

space race

Rice University students from the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing designed a space exercise harness that is comfortable, responsive, and adaptable and has the potential to assist with complex and demanding spacewalks.

A group of students—Emily Yao, Nikhil Ashri, Jose Noriega, Ben Bridges and graduate student Jack Kalicak—mentored by assistant professor of mechanical engineering Vanessa Sanchez, modernized harnesses that astronauts use to perform rigorous exercises. The harnesses are particularly important in preparing astronauts for a reduced-gravity space environment, where human muscles and bones atrophy faster than they do on Earth. However, traditional versions of the harnesses had many limitations that included chafing and bruising.

The new harnesses include sensors for astronauts to customize their workouts by using real-time data and feedback. An additional two sensors measure astronauts’ comfort and exercise performance based on temperature and humidity changes during exercise and load distribution at common pressure points.

“Our student-led team addressed this issue by adding pneumatic padding that offers a customized fit, distributes pressure over a large surface area to reduce discomfort or injuries and also seamlessly adapts to load shifts — all of which together improved astronauts’ performance,” Sanchez said in a news release. “It was very fulfilling to watch these young engineers work together to find innovative and tangible solutions to real-world problems … This innovative adjustable exercise harness transforms how astronauts exercise in space and will significantly improve their health and safety during spaceflights.”

The project was developed in response to a challenge posted by the HumanWorks Lab and Life Science Labs at NASA and NASA Johnson Space Center for the 2025 Technology Collaboration Center’s (TCC) Wearables Workshop and University Challenge, where teams worked to solve problems for industry leaders.

Rice’s adaptive harness won the Best Challenge Response Award. It was funded by the National Science Foundation and Rice’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry.

“This challenge gave us the freedom to innovate and explore possibilities beyond the current harness technology,” Yao added in the release. “I’m especially proud of how our team worked together to build a working prototype that not only has real-world impact but also provides a foundation that NASA and space companies can build and iterate upon.”

Houston hospital performs first fully robotic heart transplant in the U.S.

robotic surgery

A team at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, led by Dr. Kenneth Liao, successfully performed the first fully robotic heart transplant in the United States earlier this year, the Houston hospital recently shared.

Liao, a professor and chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and circulatory support at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, used a surgical robot to implant a new heart in a 45-year-old male patient through preperitoneal space in the abdomen by making small incisions.

The robotic technology allowed the medical team to avoid opening the chest and breaking the breast bone, which reduces the risk of infection, blood transfusions and excessive bleeding. It also leads to an easier recovery, according to Liao.

"Opening the chest and spreading the breastbone can affect wound healing and delay rehabilitation and prolong the patient's recovery, especially in heart transplant patients who take immunosuppressants," Liao said in a news release. "With the robotic approach, we preserve the integrity of the chest wall, which reduces the risk of infection and helps with early mobility, respiratory function and overall recovery."

The patient received the heart transplant in March, after spending about four months in the hospital due to advanced heart failure. According to Baylor, he was discharged home after recovering from the surgery in the hospital for a month without complications.

"This transplant shows what is possible when innovation and surgical experience come together to improve patient care," Liao added in the release. "Our goal is to offer patients the safest, most effective and least invasive procedures, and robotic technology allows us to do that in extraordinary ways."

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