The Rhode Island Rams football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Rhode Island located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference (CAA Football).[2] Rhode Island's first football team was fielded in 1895. The team plays its home games at the 6,555 seat Meade Stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island.
| Rhode Island Rams football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1895; 129 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Thorr Bjorn | ||
| Head coach | Jim Fleming 11th season, 47–69 (.405) | ||
| Stadium | Meade Stadium (capacity: 6,555) | ||
| Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Kingston, Rhode Island | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | CAA Football | ||
| All-time record | 385–543–43 (.419) | ||
| Rivalries | Brown (rivalry) UConn (rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Keaney blue, navy blue, and white[1] | ||
| Website | GoRhody.com | ||
Conference affiliations
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2018) |
Rhode Island has played as both an independent and conference-affiliated team.[3][page needed][better source needed]
- Independent / Athletic League of New England State Colleges (1895–1946)[citation needed]
- Yankee Conference (1947–1996)
- Atlantic 10 Conference (1997–2006)
- Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference (2007–present)
Playoffs
editThe Rams have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs four times with a combined playoff record of 3–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Quarterfinals | Idaho State | L 0–51 |
| 1984 | Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Richmond Montana State |
W 23–17 L 20–32 |
| 1985 | First Round Quarterfinals |
Akron Furman |
W 35–27 L 15–59 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round |
Central Connecticut Mercer |
W 21–17 TBD |
Championships
editConference championships
editThe Rams have won eight conference championships, seven in the Yankee Conference and one in the Coastal Athletic Association.
The Yankee Conference titles were highlighted by two separate runs of numerous championships (four in five years during the 1950s and three in four years during the 1980s) and respective droughts between those run: a 24-year drought between titles in 1957 and 1981 and a 39-year drought between Rhode Island's final Yankee title in 1985 and their first CAA title in 2024.
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952† | Yankee Conference (7) | Hal Kopp (3) | 7–1 | 3–1 |
| 1953† | 6–2 | 3–1 | ||
| 1955 | 6–1–2 | 4–0 | ||
| 1957† | Herb Maack (1) | 5–2–1 | 3–0–1 | |
| 1981† | Bob Griffin (3) | 6–6 | 4–1 | |
| 1984† | 10–3 | 4–1 | ||
| 1985 | 10–3 | 5–0 | ||
| 2024† | Coastal Athletic Association (1) | Jim Fleming | 10–2 | 7–1 |
- † notes Co-championship
Divisional championships
editThe Rams have won one division title, in 1995: the Yankee Conference's New England Division.
| Year | Division championship | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Yankee New England Division | Delaware | L 19–24 |
Rivalries
editBrown
editUConn
editRetired numbers
edit| No. | Player | Years | Pos. | No. retir. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Tom Ehrhardt | 1983–1985 | QB | 1996 | [4] |
Notable former players
edit- Derek Cassidy
- Chy Davidson
- Tom Ehrhardt
- Frank Ferrara
- Steve Furness
- Andy Gresh
- Chris Hixson
- Pat Narduzzi
Current NFL players
editAs of August 30, 2023, there are no former Rhode Island Rams players listed on team rosters in the National Football League (NFL).[5]
Most recently two players were released prior to the 2023 NFL season.
- Isaiah Coulter, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills
- Ed Lee, wide receiver, New England Patriots
Future non-conference opponents
editAnnounced schedules as of December 9, 2022.[6]
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant | at Minnesota | at Western Michigan | at Bryant | at Boston College |
| at Brown | Brown | at Holy Cross | Brown | at Brown |
| at Bryant | at Brown |
References
edit- ^ "Color Palette". 2023 Rhode Island Rams Brand Guide (PDF). May 2, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "THE CAA & CAA FOOTBALL". Coastal Athletic Association. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ "Record Book (PDF)" (PDF). University of Rhode Island. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ "Thomas E. Ehrhardt (1996) - Hall of Fame". University of Rhode Island. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "Rhode Island Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Rhode Island Rams Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.