Rhode Island and Providence agree to renew annual rivalry for next 10 years

There’s nothing better than rivalry weekend in the Ocean State. For the next ten years, college basketball fans can get used to the annual matchup between the Rhode Island Rams and Providence College Friars.

On Wednesday morning, the University of Rhode Island and Providence College agreed to a ten-year men’s basketball series, starting next season until the 2032-33 season. The 132-year tradition of playing each other yearly just got a little longer.

Under the terms of the agreement, both schools will try to schedule the first Saturday of December each season and work together towards an alternate date if not possible. The expected game date will also be determined before July 1st of the upcoming season.

Both programs will switch off, playing host to the annual series. The home-and-home series will take place in Providence at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Saturday, December 2nd.

The Friars have won eight of its last ten meetings with the Rams, including last year when PC was victorious 88-74 at the Ryan Center. Jared Bynum, Clifton Moore, and Bryce Hopkins each had 14 points to help improve Providence’s series lead to 76-56 all-time against Rhode Island.

The annual rivalry between the Friars and Rams has only ever been canceled once, and that was in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the game has been a tradition for over a century in the Ocean State, Rhode Island head coach Archie Miller and Providence head coach Kim English are relatively new to the rivalry. Miller is entering his second year at the helm of the Rams, and English is in his first year taking over the Friars for Ed Cooley. There should be some hype for the matchup considering all of the new faces involved. Regardless we can expect a competitive game next year in front of a sold-out crowd, as always.