The University of Rhode Island football team announced on the morning of Sept. 17 that they will be playing their home games in 2026 at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, due to renovations happening to Meade Stadium.

“[Meade Stadium] was in desperate need [of renovations],” URI Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn said. “In terms of a facility that can handle a [Football Championship Subdivision] program, it needed a lot of work.”

The project is estimated to take around a year and a half to complete and is expected to be ready by summer 2027.

“I think it means everything for the program,” Rhode Island Head Coach Jim Fleming said. “When you look at facility improvements, it has a way to enhance your recruitment.”

The project in total is going to cost $66 million and will provide Rhode Island with an upgrade to the home of both their football team and their women’s lacrosse team, according to the Providence Journal. The renovation will demolish and replace the east stands in the stadium. This will include over 5,000 new seats.

“I think we’ll embrace [Centreville Bank] as a home stadium next year,” Fleming said. “I’m kind of looking forward to it, to expand our footprint in the Providence [and] Pawtucket area.”

Centreville Bank Stadium opened on May 3, 2025, and has a capacity of 10,500. With the Rams being one of the top teams in the FCS, the stadium will provide a larger stage for the team to play on.

“I think our administration will do a good job providing transportation,” Fleming said. “The question is the students – if they really want to get behind Rhode Island football, then [the] expectation is they make a day out of it and go watch a Rhode Island football game.”

Student attendance numbers for games next season are in question with this move, as the longer drive may have a significant impact on students who can attend the games.

“We are looking at this as a chance to bring our football program statewide,” Bjorn said. “We are going to see if there’s ways to encourage students to come to Centreville Bank Stadium.”

Centreville Bank is home to the Rhode Island Football Club of the United Soccer League, which has an average fan attendance of 8,300 fans, according to Rhodeislandfc.com. This gives the Rams a larger demographic and will show more citizens Rhode Island football.

“We are so blessed that [Centreville Bank Stadium] was built, finished and completed,” Bjorn said. “When we took a tour prior to construction completing, we felt this would be a home run for us.”

The Rams will have their first test of the environment of Centreville Bank Stadium when they take on Brown University in the 43rd edition of the Governor’s Cup at 7 p.m. on Friday. The game will stream on ESPN+ with a radio broadcast available on The Varsity Network.