The Forty-third Governor’s Cup is Coming to Centreville Bank Stadium
The Governor’s Cup, one of New England’s longest running college football rivalry games, will take place in a new venue this upcoming season.
Centreville Bank Stadium ahead of RIFC’s home opener match on May 3. (Photo by Lauren Clem)
Earlier this week, Brown University and the University of Rhode Island shared the news that the forty-third annual Governor’s Cup will be held at Pawtucket’s Centreville Bank Stadium on Friday, Oct. 3.
After opening earlier this year, the 10,500-seat stadium has gone on the hunt for extra events to host. With two teams, Rhode Island FC and the Boston Banshees women’s rugby team, calling Centreville Bank home, there is still plenty of time in the schedule for concerts, youth sports and now college sports to make use of the venue.
With multiple Brown and URI alumni in the RIFC front office, this game isn’t just another regular season battle. RIFC team co-founder and chairman Brett M. Johnson is a Brown alumus, graduating in 1992.
“As a proud Brown University alum, it is an honor to welcome the 2025 Governor’s Cup to Centreville Bank Stadium,” Johnson says in a statement. “Hosting Brown and URI underscores our commitment to bringing premiere sporting events to this community and elevating the Ocean State on a regional and national level.”
The top brass at Brown are excited for the opportunity as well, as the Friday night game is expected to bring new life to the program. M. Grace Calhoun, the Samuel M. Mencoff ’78 Vice President for Athletics and Recreation at Brown and a 1992 graduate, shared her thoughts on the venue.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Centreville Bank Stadium in staging this historic rivalry game in our state’s fantastic new venue,” Calhoun says. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to play a Friday night game under the lights and for Brown Athletics to offer a truly special experience for Brown students and fans, as well as the Pawtucket, Providence and greater Rhode Island communities.”
Brown’s football coach, James Perry, expects that playing in a stadium like Centreville Bank will have a positive impact on the Brown brand.
“The Governor’s Cup is something we always look forward to, and the 109th meeting this year will be a tremendous experience for our team,” he says. “The opportunity to play under the lights at Centreville Bank Stadium will create even greater buzz and energy that our team will feed off. This is a tremendous opportunity for our fans, our team and the entire state of Rhode Island.”
URI leadership feels similarly about the exposure this venue provides.
“It seems like a great opportunity,” says Thorr Bjorn, URI vice president and athletic director. “We toured that facility last year and it’s beautiful; the management team running it are truly first class…. Any time you get to play at a different location in the state, I think it’s of the benefit to the entire state and both programs.”
For Rhode Island, playing at Centreville Bank could be the new norm, a least for a season. Meade Stadium, the Rams’ home stadium, is expected to undergo renovations following the 2025 football season. The renovations follow a noteworthy few years for URI football, as the program has been more successful in the 2020s than any other decade outside of the 1980s. Unfortunately, the renovations will leave the Rams without a home for at least a season, and Centreville Bank could be a contender for the short list of venues that could host the Rams.
Rhode Island and Brown have played each other since 1909, but the game hasn’t always had a name or a trophy. Brown leads the all-time series seventy-three to thirty-three; however, in the last decade, Rhode Island head coach Jim Fleming has revived the school’s football program and led it to six straight Ram wins over the Bears. While this year’s game isn’t at Brown Stadium, it’s still a home game for the Bears, as they were set to host this season.
The Rams enter this year’s season as favorites to win their conference, the Coastal Athletic Association. Last season, Rhode Island made the D1-AA postseason for the first time since 1985 and won a program record eleven games. With most of their talent returning, and three All-Americans, Rhode Island is set to be one of the best teams at the D1-AA level. As for Brown, the era of “Name, Image and Likeness” hasn’t been kind to Ivy League schools, and Brown is coming off a three-win season with another challenging season expected ahead.
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