:Rhode Island Rams football
{{short description|Football program representing the University of Rhode Island}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox college football team
| CurrentSeason = 2024 Rhode Island Rams football team
| TeamName = Rhode Island Rams football
| Image = Rhode Island Rams logo.svg
| ImageSize = 150
| FirstYear = 1895; {{Years or months ago|1895}}
| AthleticDirector = Thorr Bjorn
| HeadCoach = Jim Fleming
| HeadCoachYear = 11th
| HCWins = 47
| HCLosses = 69
| Stadium = Meade Stadium
| StadCapacity = 6,555
| StadSurface = FieldTurf
| Location = Kingston, Rhode Island
| NCAAdivision = I FCS
| Conference = CAA Football
| WebsiteName = GoRhody.com
| WebsiteURL = https://gorhody.com/sports/m-footbl/index
| ATWins = 385
| ATLosses = 543
| ATTies = 43
| BowlWins =
| BowlLosses =
| NatlTitles =
| ConfTitles =
| DivTitles =
| Heismans =
| AllAmericans =
| uniform =
| FightSong =
| MascotDisplay =
| MascotLink =
| MarchingBand =
| Rivalries = Brown (rivalry)
UConn (rivalry)
}}
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).{{cite web |url=https://caasports.com/sports/2014/5/16/caabio.aspx |title=THE CAA & CAA FOOTBALL |publisher=Coastal Athletic Association |access-date= March 29, 2024}} 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.
Conference affiliations
{{refimprove section|date=August 2018}}
Rhode Island has played as both an independent and conference-affiliated team.{{Cite web|title=Record Book (PDF)|url=https://gorhody.com/documents/2020/9/26/Record_Book.pdf|access-date=2020-10-20|website=University of Rhode Island|language=en}}{{Page needed|date=October 2020}}{{better citation needed|date=October 2020}}
- Independent / Athletic League of New England State Colleges (1895–1946){{Citation needed|date=August 2018}}
- Yankee Conference (1947–1996)
- Atlantic 10 Conference (1997–2006)
- Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference (2007–present)
Playoffs
The Rams have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs four times with a combined playoff record of 3–4.
| class="wikitable" | |||
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Rhode Island Rams|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 L 10–17 |
Championships
= Conference championships =
The 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.
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Rhode Island Rams|Year|Conference|Coach|Overall record|Conference record}} | ||||
| 1952† | rowspan=7| Yankee Conference (7) | rowspan=3| 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† | rowspan=3| 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=
Rivalries
=Brown=
{{main|Brown–Rhode Island football rivalry}}
=UConn=
{{main|Rhode Island–UConn football rivalry}}
Retired numbers
{{Also|List of NCAA football retired numbers}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||||
| colspan=6 style ={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams|color=white}} | Rhode Island Rams retired numbers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams}}; width=40px| No.
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams}}; width= 150px| Player ! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams}}; width= px| Pos. ! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams}}; width=100px| Tenure ! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams}}; width= px| No. ret. ! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Rhode Island Rams}}; width= px| Ref. | |||||
| 12 | Tom Ehrhardt | 1983–1985 | QB | 1996 | {{Cite web|title=Thomas E. Ehrhardt (1996) - Hall of Fame|url=https://gorhody.com/honors/hall-of-fame/thomas-e-ehrhardt-86-/121|access-date=February 10, 2025|website=gorhody.com|publisher=University of Rhode Island|language=en}} |
Notable former players
{{main|List of Rhode Island Rams in the NFL draft}}
=Current NFL players=
As of April 28, 2025, there is one former Rhode Island Rams player listed on team roster in the National Football League (NFL).{{Cite web |title=Rhode Island Players/Alumni |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/rhodeisland/index.htm |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=October 17, 2022 }}
- Ajani Cornelius, right tackle, Dallas Cowboys
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of February 18, 2025.{{cite web |title=Rhode Island Rams Football Future Schedules |publisher=FBSchedules.com |url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/rhode-island/ |access-date=February 18, 2025}}
| class="wikitable" |
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Rhode Island Rams|2025|2026|2027}} |
| at Holy Cross
| at Temple | at Boston College |
| LIU
| Brown | at Brown |
| at Western Michigan
| | |
| at Brown
| | |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Rhode Island Rams football navbox}}
{{University of Rhode Island}}
{{Coastal Athletic Association football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhode Island Rams Football}}