Rhode Island Football Club Kicks Its Way Into Locals’ Hearts

Still grieving the loss of our beloved Pawtucket Red Sox and those family outings at McCoy Stadium every summer? Well, get ready to welcome a new team to town.

The Rhode Island Football Club (RIFC) is a new professional soccer team making its debut this month. Led by head coach and general manager Khano Smith, RIFC kicks off the season on March 16 against New Mexico United, one of 23 other teams in the USL Championship League, the principal minor league in American soccer. The team takes to the pitch with high expectations for success and a new state-of-the-art 10,000-seat stadium at Tidewater Landing in Pawtucket, expected to be completed for the 2025 season. Meanwhile, the 2024 season unfolds at Bryant University’s Bierne Stadium, where all 17 home games are scheduled to be played.

Co-founder and board member Michael Parkhurst, who grew up playing youth soccer in Cranston and later became an All-Star with the New England Revolution, is part of the group that brought the team to Rhode Island. “The goal is to provide something for the community and build something great,” he says.

Parkhurst, a former defender and US Olympian, was responsible for recruiting Smith, a teammate on the Revolution, as well as setting up training facilities and advising on stadium needs. He continues to work with Smith on player recruitment and development. “We’ve put together a very good roster for year one,” he says. “We know that people want to cheer on a winning team and we’re going to try to provide that for fans.”

With the team opener nearly sold out at press time, the challenge for organizers is to build a sustainable following in the state, a fanbase that will show up to twice-monthly matches that run through October. “The gameday experience will include lots of activities, including entertainment for kids, youth teams playing at halftime, and kids walking out with players, which is part of the soccer tradition,” adds Parkhurst.

The ownership group, led by Brett Johnson, has been working on bringing the team to Rhode Island since 2018. “It’s certainly been a long time coming,” says Brett Luy, team president who oversees all business operations, partnerships, ticketing, and merchandise. “We’ve got a wonderful grassroots team spreading the word at WaterFire, Brewfest, holiday outings at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, and all the youth tournaments in partnership with local youth clubs and Soccer RI, who has been a great partner.”

More children play youth soccer in Rhode Island than any other sport, so reaching these players and their families is vital for the team’s success. “We want to make sure that the youth soccer community is aware that we’re here and give kids something to look forward to and aspire to on the field,” says Luy. “We’ll be offering some interesting experiences for coaches, players, and their families that maybe they’re not getting elsewhere. We’re out in the community with our players, and with Chip, the mascot. We take the off-field components of our mission very seriously.”

Although the team won’t be playing in the new stadium until 2025, Luy promises a complete game-day experience this season. To that end, the team has installed new bleachers on the north end of Bierne Stadium, doubling the capacity of the venue. “We’ll bring in LED boards, we’ll have a hospitality area, a beer garden, and a food truck village. And we’ll also have field seats, which are extremely popular with fans; they really put you on top of the action.”

The team has a growing fanbase, led by Defiance 1636, a spirited club of dedicated fans that bring energy and an appropriate bit of rowdiness to home games. “It’s gonna be a raucous environment,” adds Luy. “Khano has done an excellent job of assembling this roster in relatively short order. We aim to compete from day one. Our expectation is to win.”

“There will be something for everybody,” Luy continues. “If you want that family-friendly experience, we offer it. For hardcore soccer fans, you’ll find Defiance banging drums and popping smoke when we score goals in Section 13.” RhodeIslandFC.com, @rhodeislandfc