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Rhode Island Rams football

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Rhode Island Rams football
2024 Rhode Island Rams football team
First season1895; 129 years ago
Athletic directorThorr Bjorn
Head coachJim Fleming
9th season, 31–62 (.333)
StadiumMeade Stadium
(capacity: 6,555)
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationKingston, Rhode Island
NCAA divisionDivision I FCS
ConferenceCAA Football
All-time record385–543–43 (.419)
RivalriesBrown (rivalry)
UConn (rivalry)
ColorsKeaney blue, navy blue, and white[1]
     
WebsiteGoRhody.com

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.

Conference affiliations

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Rhode Island has played as both an independent and conference-affiliated team.[3][page needed][better source needed]

Playoffs

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The Rams have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs three times, but not since 1985. They have seven winning seasons since that time, with much more recent success since 2018 as a program on the rise. Their combined playoff record is 2–3.

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

Championships

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Conference championships

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The Rams have won seven conference championships, all of which were won during their tenure in the Yankee Conference, 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 runs, with a 24-year drought between titles in 1957 and 1981 and an ongoing drought since Rhode Island's last title in 1985 of over 30 years.

Year Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1952 Yankee Conference (co-championship) Hal Kopp 7–1 3–1
1953 Yankee Conference (co-championship) Hal Kopp 6–2 3–1
1955 Yankee Conference Hal Kopp 6–1–2 4–0
1957 Yankee Conference (co-championship) Herb Maack 5–2–1 3–0–1
1981 Yankee Conference (co-championship) Bob Griffin 6–6 4–1
1984 Yankee Conference (co-championship) Bob Griffin 10–3 4–1
1985 Yankee Conference Bob Griffin 10–3 5–0

Divisional championships

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The 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

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Brown

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UConn

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Retired numbers

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No. Player Years Pos. No. retir. Ref.
12 Tom Ehrhardt 1983–1985 QB 1996 [4]

Notable former players

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Current NFL players

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As 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.

Future non-conference opponents

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Announced 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

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  1. ^ "Color Palette". 2023 Rhode Island Rams Brand Guide (PDF). May 2, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "THE CAA & CAA FOOTBALL". Coastal Athletic Association. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Record Book (PDF)" (PDF). University of Rhode Island. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "Thomas E. Ehrhardt (1996) - Hall of Fame". University of Rhode Island. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Rhode Island Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "Rhode Island Rams Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
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