The University of Rhode Island Football team had yet another disappointing season this year finishing the year with just two wins.

            The 2016 season was Head Coach Jim Fleming’s third year in his five-year contract.  In seasons one and two for Fleming, his Rams compiled a 2-21 overall record.  Despite just two wins this year, the Rams are moving in the right direction.

            Year after year as the Rams struggle, the same question is asked: Will this program be cut?  The public does not appreciate the program, but the lack of success runs deeper than that for some fans.  Maybe it’s the CAA, the conference the Rams play in.  Or perhaps it is the lack of facilities that the program does not have compared to those of other CAA schools.  URI has some decision making to do if they want to keep this program and change the culture.

            Rhody Sports Network Color Analyst and URI Athletics Hall of Famer Terry Lynch said the lack of success has everything to do with the lack of facilities on campus.  Lynch played quarterback for the Rams in the 1980’s and then went onto coach the Rams post graduation.          

            Lynch says there is a, “Big time correlation,” between lacks of facilities and the programs consistency with losing.  “Kids want to know where they’re going to play, where they are going to eat, where they are going to lift, where are the girls and where are their classes in that order,” Lynch said.  “When you compare what Rhode Island has to other schools in the CAA it’s not even close.”  Lynch also added that the football program should thank their lucky stars that the Ryan Center was built allowing more stadiums seating for Meade Stadium.

            URI Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn is not so much focused on lack of facilities but rather a decision that he made during Joe Trainer’s tenure as head coach.  Bjorn acknowledged that schools like James Madison University, the top team in the CAA and a national championship contender may have nice facilities but they are struggling with something.  “Every program has its challenges,” Bjorn said. “I may look at JMU and say, ‘Wow they have the greatest facility in the world.’ But there is stuff that they are struggling with.  Just like we are.  There are certain decisions that we have probably impacted football and have.  I own part of that.  We decided to go to the Northeast Conference a few years ago and reversed course.  That set us back and I own that.  That hurt our program.”

            There are without a doubt major issues that have to be resolved for the program to move forward.  Cutting the program does not seem like an option right now though.  “We can cut football,” Bjorn said.  “It has been talked about for too many years.  Those rumors impact your ability to recruit.  Those rumors have to stop.  That conversation has to stop.”  Bjorn goes onto say football brings people to campus and also impacts URI’s diversity as 45-50 percent of football athletes are African American. 

            Lynch claims that the University will have to do something about the facilities sooner rather than later or this program might not see another five years.  Bjorn said that they have been and will continue to get Coach Fleming more resources to develop a strong program.  With Fleming in entering year four of a five-year contract his future with the program past 2018 is unclear.