The Rhode Island Rams are the intercollegiate athletic programs that represent the University of Rhode Island, based in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. The Rams compete in the NCAA's Division I as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The football team, however, competes in the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference of the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, as the A-10 does not sponsor football.[2]
| Rhode Island Rams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of Rhode Island |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 (primary) CAA Football (football) |
| NCAA | Division I (FCS) |
| Athletic director | Thorr Bjorn |
| Location | Kingston, Rhode Island |
| Varsity teams | 18 (8 men's, 10 women's) |
| Football stadium | Meade Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Ryan Center |
| Baseball stadium | Bill Beck Field |
| Soccer stadium | URI Soccer Complex |
| Other venues | Keaney Gymnasium |
| Mascot | Rhody the Ram |
| Nickname | Rams |
| Fight song | "Rhode Island Born" |
| Colors | Keaney blue, navy blue, and white[1] |
| Website | gorhody |
 | |
The program's athletic director is Thorr Bjorn.[3]
The school's colors are light blue (officially referred to as "Keaney blue"), white, and navy blue.[2] The school's mascot is Rhody the Ram. It was chosen in 1923 as tribute to the school's agricultural history, making its first appearance in 1929. The school has not used a live ram since the introduction of "Rhody," a student in an anthropomorphic ram costume, in 1974.[4]
Sponsored sports
edit| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Rowing |
| Football | Soccer |
| Golf | Softball |
| Soccer | Swimming & diving |
| Track & field† | Tennis |
| Track & field† | |
| Volleyball | |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. | |
As a primary member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, the University of Rhode Island sponsors teams in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports, with football competing in the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference.
Baseball
edit
The Rams baseball program played its first season in 1898. It plays at Bill Beck Field on campus. In 2005, under head coach Frank Leoni, the program reached its first NCAA tournament.[5][6]
Basketball
editURI Basketball went to the NCAA tournament in 2017 after an 18 year drought, nearly upsetting Final Four participant #3 Oregon in the second round. In the 1990s, the Rams made the Big Dance in 1997,[7] 1998,[8] and 1999.[9] In 1998, the Rams went on a surprise run to the Elite 8.[10]
The women's team has made one NCAA appearance in 1996 after going 21–8 and 13–3 in A10 play, losing 90–82 to Oklahoma State. They have two other postseason appearances in the 2022 and 2023 WNITs. [11]
Football
edit
The Rams have won eight conference championships, seven in the Yankee Conference and one in the Coastal Athletic Association. Likewise the Rams have won one division title, in 1995: the Yankee Conference's New England Division.
Softball
editRhode Island's softball team has appeared in one Women's College World Series in 1982.[12]
Club sports
edit
The University of Rhode Island Club Sports program consists of 13 teams. Each team is organized and managed by students with guidance from the Coordinator of Club Sports. They include Soccer, Tennis, Hockey, Field Hockey, Rowing, Sailing, Rugby, Swimming, Volleyball, Gymnastics, and Equestrian.
The women's ice hockey team competes in Division I of the American Collegiate Hockey Association in ESCHL league.
National championships
editTeam
edit| Organizer | Division | Sport | Tournament | Year | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | University Division | Cross country | Division I tournament | 1941 | Penn State | 83–110 |
Facilities
editSource:[13]
| Venue | Sport hosted |
|---|---|
| Bill Beck Field | Baseball |
| Ryan Center | Basketball |
| Meade Stadium | Football |
| URI Campanella Rowing Center | Rowing |
| URI Soccer Complex | Soccer |
| URI Softball Complex | Softball |
| Tootell Aquatics Center | Swimming & diving |
| URI Tennis Courts | Tennis |
| Mackal Fieldhouse | Indoor track and field |
| Keaney Gymnasium | Volleyball |
Mascot
editRhody the Ram is the official mascot of the University of Rhode Island. His mascot status was given on March 8, 1923, and he made his first appearance on November 21, 1929. At one time a real ram was housed at a dairy barn across from the campus, but that stopped in the 1960s, and was picked up for one year in 1974. Unlike other popular universities, the Rhody the Ram mascot program is run by the URI Student Alumni Association, a student run organization that serves the university by organizing many popular events on campus.[14][15]
Media coverage
editTelevision
editUniversity of Rhode Island sports are televised regionally on the Ocean State Network, a joint venture of Cox Communications and WJAR.[16] OSN provides television and streaming coverage of all regular season men's basketball games not broadcast on a national carrier, and select football, baseball, soccer and women's basketball games. Select men's basketball games are also covered by ESPN, and A-10 tournament games are televised by contract with ESPN, CBS and NBC.[17] The University's ACHA men's ice hockey and women's basketball home games have live streaming video available on their respective websites.
Radio
editCommercial coverage of men's basketball and football is provided by iHeartMedia stations WHJJ and WWBB in the Providence area, with rights managed by Learfield IMG College.[18] The longtime announcer for both sports is Steve McDonald, who in 2011 was awarded the inaugural Ben Mondor Award for "extraordinary contributions in...sports in Rhode Island".[19]
Non-commercial coverage of home games for football, baseball, men's (and select women's) basketball, as well as the school's ACHA men's ice hockey team can be heard on the University's student radio station WRIU. Other sports, including men's and women's soccer, softball, women's ice hockey and select women's basketball games are carried on WRIU's online station RIU2.[20]
Controversial incidents
editFebruary 3, 1998 – Rhody the Ram tried to prevent the St. Joe's Hawk from his eternal flapping by putting an inner tube over its head, temporarily immobilizing his arms. While trying to remove the tube, the Hawk's head (costume) fell off. The incident was televised and repeated on ESPN.[21]
References
edit- ^ "Color Palette". 2023 Rhode Island Rams Brand Guide (PDF). May 2, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ a b "University of Rhode Island". NCAA. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "From the Desk of Thorr Bjorn". Go Rhody. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ Peregolise, Adam (September 18, 2003). "Legend Of The Ram". Go Rhody. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "2005 Rhode Island Rams Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Rhode Island Sports Information. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ^ "Tribe Head Baseball Coach Frank Leoni Inducted into Rhode Island Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame". TribeAthletics.com. William & Mary Sports Information. July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ^ "1997 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". Database Sports. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "1998 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". Database Sports. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "1999 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". Database Sports. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "End of the Rhode: Stanford makes up 6 points in 59 seconds, shocks URI". CNN/SI. March 22, 1998. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "Rams' magical season ends in opening game of WNIT". The Good Five Cent Cigar. March 24, 2022.
- ^ Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9893007-0-4.
- ^ "URI Athletics – Facilities". Go Rhody. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ "Rhody The Ram". urisaa.org. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ "Rhody the Ram celebrates 88th birthday". ramcigar.com. April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ "Ocean State Networks". Cox Sports Online. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ "A-10 signs new eight-year television deal with ESPN, CBS, NBC". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ "Rhode Island Rams". Learfield IMG College Affiliate Resources. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "WHJY and Voice of the Rams Steve McDonald to Receive Ben Mondor Award". GoLocalProv. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ "Sports Programming". WRIU. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ^ "Rhody the Ram v. The Hawk". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
External links
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