KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island Football opened up the 2025 season as the No. 10 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, on Monday.
The Rams finished the final coaches poll of the 2024 campaign at No. 11, capping off a historic year for the program that saw the team capture a program-best 11 wins (11-3) and take home its first-ever CAA Football championship. Rhode Island earned an at-large selection to the NCAA FCS Championship field as a 10-seed and defeated Central Connecticut State, 21-17, in a playoff game on its home turf at Meade Stadium.
URI was one of four CAA Football teams represented in the top 25, joined by Villanova (No. 13), Monmouth (No. 21) and Stony Brook (No. 25). New Hampshire received 21 votes.
Rhody's season officially begins with a home game against Campbell on Friday, Aug. 29. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and single-game tickets can be purchased
HERE.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
2024 Rec. |
Pts. |
2024 Rank |
Season Opener |
Head Coach |
| 1 |
North Dakota St. (26) |
14-2 |
650 |
1 |
Aug. 30 at The Citadel |
Tim Polasek |
| 2 |
Montana St. |
15-1 |
612 |
2 |
Aug. 30 at Oregon |
Brent Vigen |
| 3 |
South Dakota St. |
12-3 |
581 |
3 |
Aug. 30 vs. No. 14 Sacramento St. |
Dan Jackson |
| 4 |
UIW |
11-3 |
541 |
6 |
Aug. 23 at Nichols |
Clint Killough |
| 5 |
South Dakota |
11-3 |
521 |
4 |
Aug. 30 at Iowa St. |
Travis Johansen |
| 6 |
Illinois St. |
10-4 |
466 |
9 |
Aug. 30 at Oklahoma |
Brock Spack |
| 7 |
UC Davis |
11-3 |
456 |
5 |
Aug. 23 vs. No. 11 Mercer |
Tim Plough |
| 8 |
Tarleton St. |
10-4 |
454 |
12 |
Aug. 23 at Portland St. |
Todd Whitten |
| 9 |
Montana |
9-5 |
447 |
13 |
Sept. 6 vs. Central Washington |
Bobby Hauck |
| 10 |
Rhode Island |
11-3 |
416 |
11 |
Aug. 29 vs. Campbell |
Jim Fleming |
| 11 |
Mercer |
11-3 |
396 |
7 |
Aug. 23 vs. No. 7 UC Davis |
Mike Jacobs |
| 12 |
Idaho |
10-4 |
371 |
8 |
Aug. 30 at Washington St. |
Thomas Ford Jr. |
| 13 |
Villanova |
10-4 |
338 |
10 |
Sept. 6 vs. Colgate |
Mark Ferrante |
| 14 |
Sacramento St. |
3-9 |
265 |
NR |
Aug. 30 at No. 3 South Dakota St. |
Brennan Marion |
| 15 |
Lehigh |
9-4 |
207 |
22 |
Aug. 30 vs. No. 22t Richmond |
Kevin Cahill |
| 16 |
ACU |
9-5 |
203 |
15 |
Aug. 30 at Tulsa |
Keith Patterson |
| 17 |
Jackson St. |
12-2 |
200 |
14 |
Aug. 30 vs. Hampton |
T.C. Taylor |
| 18 |
Northern Arizona |
8-5 |
168 |
21 |
Aug. 30 at Arizona St. |
Brian Wright |
| 19 |
Western Carolina |
7-5 |
147 |
NR |
Aug. 30 vs. Gardner-Webb |
Kerwin Bell |
| 20 |
Southern Illinois |
4-8 |
132 |
NR |
Aug. 30 vs. Thomas More |
Nick Hill |
| 21 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
6-6 |
116 |
NR |
Aug. 29 at Colgate |
Kevin Callahan |
| 22t. |
Richmond |
10-3 |
111 |
17 |
Aug. 30 at No. 15 Lehigh |
Russ Huesman |
| 22t. |
Tennessee Tech |
7-5 |
111 |
NR |
Aug. 30 vs. Cumberland |
Bobby Wilder |
| 24 |
Stephen F. Austin |
7-5 |
82 |
NR |
Aug. 28 at Houston |
Colby Carthel |
| 25 |
Stony Brook |
8-4 |
69 |
NR |
Aug. 28 at San Diego St. |
Billy Cosh |
Others Receiving Votes: UT Martin, 50; Harvard, 40; Southeastern Louisiana, 36; South Carolina St., 25; Southeast Missouri St., 25; East Tennessee St., 24; New Hampshire, 21; Eastern Kentucky, 19; North Dakota, 19; Youngstown St., 16; Chattanooga, 14; Tennessee St., 14; Dartmouth, 13; North Carolina Central, 13; Central Connecticut St., 11; Southern Utah, 9; Lafayette, 6; Central Arkansas, 5; Northern Iowa, 5; San Diego, 5; Indiana St., 4; Lindenwood, 4; Lamar, 3; Holy Cross, 2; Southern, 2; Yale, 2; Bucknell, 1; Eastern Washington, 1; Samford, 1
