KINGSTON, R.I. – Mark S. Cruise '81 '84, a University of Rhode Island football program all-time great, and his wife, Sue Cruise '84, have gifted their alma mater $2 million to both establish a new endowment fund supporting URI's student-athletes and to rename the football team's practice field in Cruises' honor. The Cruises' financial contribution is the largest single monetary gift the URI football program has ever received.
 
Most of the Cruises' gift—$1.5 million—will create the Mark '81 '84 & Sue '84 Cruise Endowed Scholarship program. The fund will provide an annual scholarship to a university student-athlete, preferably a football player, from within the area of Brockton, Massachusetts (Cruise's hometown). Individuals displaying the characteristics of a blue-collar community—grit, determination, and pride—and who demonstrate financial need and academic and athletic achievement are who will benefit from this scholarship. Specifics on scholarship amounts and allocations will be announced at a later date.
 
Subject to approval by the URI Board of Trustees and the Rhode Island General Assembly, the football practice field adjacent to the Ryan Center and Meade Stadium will bear the name "Mark S. Cruise '81 '84 Football Practice Field." The naming rights gift is in honor of past URI coaches Peter Adrian G'72 and Fazio Bagnoli, both of whom had a tremendous impact on Cruise's life and experience at the University.
 
The $500,000 collected from the naming rights will support URI's renovations to the football locker rooms and to Meade Stadium.
 
"This generous gift from Mark and Sue Cruise sends a signal nationally that donors see value in both URI and our football program. They want to invest in the University, and help student-athletes succeed on the field and in the classroom," said Mark Antonucci, the URI Foundation's CEO and vice president for advancement. "The football program's recent on-field success, plus having a local URI hall of fame athlete give back to the school, creates a perfect storm in helping the football program remain highly competitive within an ever-evolving college athletics landscape."
 
"Mark and Sue Cruise's gift is a powerful testament to the meaningful experiences student-athletes can have at the University of Rhode Island," URI Interim Athletic Director Brittney Miles said. "Mark understands what it means to get a scholarship to come play here and shaping who he is speaks volumes to help us maintain the primary purpose and goal to succeed in life after graduating. This will have a major impact for many generations of football players here, and we are so grateful for their significant contribution and ongoing support for URI."
 
Gridiron legend pays it forward
 
Coming from a large family with limited means, Cruise fully understands the value of a college scholarship. Cruise recalls his father, who worked for the New England Telephone Company at the time, telling his son that he was going to college and "had to figure it out" on making that happen.
 
When it came time to decide on a college, URI offered Cruise a full scholarship to play football in Kingston, and Cruise flourished. Starting as a true freshman and every game of his four-year career, Cruise was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player by the Providence Grid Iron Club in 1980 during his senior season. The co-captain also earned second-team All-Yankee Conference while recording 71 tackles and three interceptions that year.
 
Cruise, who signed free-agent contracts with the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, was also inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. Professionally, Cruise founded the Virtus Group in 2003, a financial consulting firm based in Providence, and has more than 40 years' experience helping families achieve their financial goals and values. 
 
After he and Sue focused on raising their family—also active in youth athletics—Cruise about a decade ago began repaying his alma mater the scholarship he earned from URI as he promised in his estate plan, he says. He felt the best way to aid URI was to provide scholarship funding and give student-athletes with limited financial means the opportunity to succeed.
 
"I know it's not easy to put food on the table, let alone send kids to college," Cruise said. "I also know URI will allocate the funds to those kids in need who have a desire to work hard and thrive. I also hope this scholarship creates a multiplier effect where other alumni, friends and former student-athletes can help these students in need in their own way."
 
Sue Cruise, described by Mark as the "glue" of the family, double majored in Education and Communication Disorders at URI before pursuing her Master's degree in Speech Pathology at Penn State. Following her studies, she returned to Rhode Island, working at both Newington Children's Hospital in Connecticut and Rhode Island Hospital as a speech pathologist.  
 
However, the job that most called to Sue was that of a mother—at the birth of their first child, James. Mark and Sue Cruise decided together that she would focus all her efforts on raising their children full-time. Soon after came Ken, Matt and Carolyn all now have grown and created their own marks on the world. Mark credits Sue's selflessness as the reason for his professional success and together they made Rhode Island home, and together the Cruise family put forth this gift to the University.
 
Maintaining momentum
 
The gift not only comes from a Rhody football legend and his wife, but it also builds on the positive momentum that URI's football program has gained over the last six seasons both on the field and off.
 
URI football is coming off its most successful season in four decades. In 2025, the Rams compiled an 11-3 overall record, including an undefeated 8-0 record in Coastal Athletic Association conference play—winning the regular-season conference championship for a second year in a row. The football team also earned a NCAA FCS Division I Tournament berth for a second straight season and advanced to the tournament's second round. 
 
Also, URI football under Head Coach Jim Fleming won 10 or more games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1984 and 1985 seasons. Since 2020, URI football has netted a 43-16 overall record and has compiled six straight winning seasons, the longest streak in the program's 131-year history. 
 
Fleming says Cruise's support to build a winning football program at URI dates back several years, with Miles noting that Cruise has mentored student-athletes to excel in life. Fleming uses Cruise's success story on recruiting trips as an example to show prospective student-athletes that hard work, perseverance and dedication will carry over into the business world.
 
"Mark Cruise, in my mind, is everything about the University of Rhode Island football experience. He committed to the University and played at a very high level, achieving great things both on the field and receiving a high-quality education," Fleming said. "This donation validates our program and the importance of football here at URI, and Mark has been extremely supportive every step of the way. We hope this perpetuates with the student-athletes that Mark's URI football experience was worthy for him to give back to it. I cannot thank him enough for that."
 
URI football will play its 2026 home schedule at the 10,500-seat Centreville Bank Stadium—home to Rhode Island FC of the United Soccer League—in Pawtucket starting Sept. 12. Meade Stadium is undergoing a major $42 million renovation, part of an $85 million athletic facilities overhaul at URI. The renovation, which will involve tearing down and building new east stands and press box, will conclude in time for the Rams' 2027 fall season.