Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC is an American professional soccer club headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The team plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship.

History
On December 2, 2019, under the leadership of Brett M. Johnson, the co-founder and owner of Rhode Island FC, it was announced that a USL Championship team playing in a new soccer-specific stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island would be a centerpiece for a large development project to be named Tidewater Landing. The stadium was proposed to seat at least 10,000 fans 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 the State of Rhode Island and City of Pawtucket, with the remainder covered by team ownership. Plans moved slowly due to inflation and supply-chain delays caused by COVID-19, and costs increased from initial projections. 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. Groundbreaking occurred on August 12, 2022.

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 a symbol 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.

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 2500 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.

Former Bermuda national team captain Khano Smith was named the team's first head coach and general manager on March 8, 2023.

Work on the new facility continued after the groundbreaking, but stalled out as owners needed more funding due to additional construction costs. The team announced that it would make plans to play its first season at Bryant University's Beirne Stadium while completing construction of the stadium at Tidewater Landing. Additional funding was obtained by the owners from unnamed investors. Full financial support for construction was announced on August 9, 2023, and bonds were issued in early 2024 to complete the financing. The total construction cost of the stadium is estimated at $130 million.

On November 1, 2023, the team announced the signing of the first player in team history, Spanish goalkeeper Koke Vegas. Vegas came to the team after playing for the San Diego Loyal for two years, and many years at various clubs in Spain. He was subsequently named the team's first captain on March 12, 2024, several days prior to the team's first game.



Chip, RIFC's mascot, was introduced on November 9, 2023. Chip is an anthropomorphic harbor 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. Symbolic of his Rhode Island roots, the team described Chip as having thirteen whiskers (Rhode Island being the 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". He also enjoys eating fish and chips, quahogs, and hot wieners.

The team held a "reveal party" on December 4, 2023, to show off their new home and away kits. The home kit, dubbed the "energy kit", is a mainly bay blue uniform with lightning bolt trim to evoke the lightning bolts in the team's crest. The away kit is known as the "Rhode kit" and is amber with lighter yellow pinstripes. The names of all 39 cities and towns of Rhode Island are embedded in the pinstripes, and a nautical design of knotted ropes is added as a detail on some of the striping. The team stated that the kit is a "commitment to community" for away games. Both kits have the team's crest on the front left chest, and the logos of the three primary sponsors on the front, sleeve, and back.

The team's inaugural match was a sellout on March 16, 2024, against New Mexico United, ending in a 1-1 tie. The first goal in team history was an own goal scored in second-half stoppage time by New Mexico defender Chris Gloster. It was the first time in USL Championship history that a team earned a point in its inaugural game.

Head coaches

 * Includes USL Regular Season, USL Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies. Updated through July 13, 2024.