 | |||
| Full name | Rhode Island Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | RIFC | ||
| Founded | December 2, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-12-02) | ||
| Stadium | Tidewater Landing Stadium Pawtucket, Rhode Island | ||
| Capacity | 10,500 | ||
| Owners | Brett M. Johnson Michael Parkhurst | ||
| Head coach | Khano Smith | ||
| League | USL Championship | ||
| 2024 | 5th, Eastern Conference Playoffs: League Final | ||
| Website | rhodeislandfc.com | ||
 Current season | |||
Rhode Island FC is an American professionalsoccer club headquartered inPawtucket,Rhode Island. Founded in 2019 and beginning play in 2024, the team plays in the Eastern Conference of theUSL Championship, the second tier of theAmerican soccer system. In its first season, Rhode Island won the USL Championship Eastern Conference final, but were runners-up in the USL Championship final, losing 3-0 toColorado Springs Switchbacks.
On December 2, 2019, under the leadership ofBrett M. Johnson, the co-founder and owner of Rhode Island FC, it was announced that a USL Championship team playing in a newsoccer-specific stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island would be a centerpiece for a large development project to be named Tidewater Landing.[1] The stadium was proposed to seat at least 10,000 fans[2] and be connected to shops, apartments, offices, and a hotel in a $400-million plan. The project's initial goal was to have the team playing by 2022.
In order to move forward with the project, team ownership requested partial funding from theState of Rhode Island and City ofPawtucket, with the remainder covered by team ownership. Plans moved slowly due to inflation and supply-chain delays caused byCOVID-19, and costs increased from initial projections.[3] Rhode Island's Governor,Dan McKee, cast the deciding vote in a Rhode Island Commerce Corporation meeting on July 25, 2022, to provide funding and allow construction of the stadium.[4] Groundbreaking occurred on August 12, 2022.[5][6]
The day after the team name was announced, RIFC allowed fans to place advance deposits for purchase of season tickets, which could be applied for a later purchase. The team reported success with the deposits with more than 2,500 in the first week, exceeding volume from any previous USL franchise at their debut. By December, the team reported receiving season ticket deposits from customers in each of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.[7][8]
FormerBermuda national team captainKhano Smith was named the team's first head coach and general manager on March 8, 2023.[9] This signing was followed up on November 1st, with the announcing of the signing of the first player in team history, Spanish goalkeeperKoke Vegas, a former player forSan Diego Loyal and many years at various clubs in Spain.[10] He was subsequently named the team's first captain on March 12, 2024, several days prior to the team's first game.[11]
The team's inaugural match was a sellout on March 16, 2024, againstNew Mexico United, ending in a 1-1 tie. The first goal in team history was anown goal scored in second-half stoppage time by New Mexico defenderChris Gloster.[12] It was the first time in USL Championship history that a team earned a point in its inaugural game.[13]
The team finished the 2024 regular season 5th in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship. The team showed significant improvement in the standings as the season went on, having been in 11th place as late as mid-June.
Significant season milestones included their first win at theLas Vegas Lights in April, the only regular season defeat of theLouisville City FC at their home stadium, and a 3-0 victory against rivalsHartford Athletic. The team had an mid-season unbeaten streak of 8 games, and closed the season on a 6-game unbeaten streak. Their final game againstMiami FC was an 8-1 victory, the largest margin of victory and highest single-game goal total of any game in the 2024 season.
Rhode Island FC set the single-season USL Championship record for most draws, at 15. Team honors includedNoah Fuson as the 2024 Golden Playmaker,[14]JJ Williams as Player of the Month of October, andKhano Smith as Coach of the Month for June.
After defeatingIndy 3-2 in their first playoff game, RIFC traveled to Players' Shield winnersLouisville City FC, beating them 3-0. In the Eastern Conference Championship, they beatCharleston Battery 2-1.
RIFC lost in the USL Championship Final 3-0 to theColorado Springs Switchbacks.[2]
The team will move to its new home location,Tidewater Landing Stadium, in 2025. The team's first scheduled game at the new stadium is May 3, 2025.[15]
The club was slated to originally play their inaugural match at their own stadium, but after construction stalled out due to an increase in additional construction costs,[16][17] the team announced that it would make plans to play its first season atBryant University'sBeirne Stadium while completing construction of the stadium at Tidewater Landing.[18]
Additional funding was obtained by the owners from unnamed investors for the stadium, and full financial support for construction was announced on August 9, 2023, and bonds were issued in early 2024 to complete the financing.[19][20][21] The total construction cost of the stadium is estimated at $130 million.[22]
On November 14, 2022, the team announced their name as Rhode Island FC (RIFC) and revealed their team crest and colors. The crest incorporated an anchor design, with a monogram of "RI" embedded in the anchor stem. Lightning bolts were placed at the edges of the anchor to represent the team's energy. The team noted that the anchor has been historically asymbol of Rhode Island since 1647, and the modern design in the crest gives evidence of "hope" and being "grounded in the community". Team colors were established as amber and bay blue.[23][24]
The club has one official supporter group, an independent supporter group called Rhode Island Defiance 1636.[25] The name is in reference to the date of the founding of the colony of Rhode Island, and the defiance against the doubt of successful professional soccer in Rhode Island.[26] The supporter group also goes by the nickname of "La Barra Bahía."[27] During home matches at Beirne Stadium, they were typically situated behind the north endline.[28] They will have a dedicated safe-standing supporters' section at Tidewater Landing in 2025.[29] The supporter group are well-regarded for their atypically strong support during away matches and being ruthless during home matches using the style ofBarra Brava.[30]
Chip, RIFC's mascot, was introduced on November 9, 2023. Chip is an anthropomorphicharbor seal, who loves football and roots for RIFC as his favorite team. The harbor seal is the official marine mammal of the state of Rhode Island.[31] Symbolic of his Rhode Island roots, the team described Chip as having thirteen whiskers (Rhode Island beingthe thirteenth state), spots on his fur that look like the team crest, and a marking on his nose that looks like an anchor. He wears a headband that reads "wicked good soccer", the word "wicked" as anintensifier being typical to theNew England dialect of English.[32] He also enjoys eatingfish and chips,quahogs, andhot wieners.[33][34]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Sleeve sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024– | Capelli Sport[35] | Front:Breeze Airways[36] Back:Rhode Island Energy[37] | Centreville Bank[38] |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
| Front Office | |
|---|---|
| President |  David Peart[41] |
| General Manager |  Khano Smith |
| Assistant General Manager | Sean Carey |
| Stadium General Manager | Paul Byrne |
| Office Manager | Julia Menendez |
| Technical Staff | |
| Head Coach | Khano Smith |
| Assistant Coach |  Dave McKay |
| Assistant Coach | Marcos Ugarte |
| Assistant Coach / Director of goalkeeping |  Karl Spratt |
| Team Administrator | Jason Gove |
| Head of Video Analytics |  Juan Andres Vasquez |
| Head Athletic Trainer | Teresse Rehwoldt |
| Director of Sports Performance | Matthew DelGreco |
| Equipment Manager | Nicholas Coelho |
| Season | Record | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name | Goals | ||||||
| 2024 | 2 | USLC | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 51 | 1.50 | 5th | 7th | RU | R3 | DNQ | 4,347 |  Albert DikwaJJ Williams | 11 | |
^ 1.Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2.Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league, league playoffs,U.S. Open Cup,CONCACAF Champions League,FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khano Smith[9] | Bermuda | March 8, 2023 | present | 39 | 15 | 9 | 15 | 038.46 |
Sports teams based inRhode Island | ||
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| College athletics (NJCAA Division II) | ||
