History Programs Brown vs. Rhode Island Brown vs. Rhode Island Brown and Rhode Island have 90 meetings on file, the first in 1909; Brown leads the series 65–23–2 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Rhode Island 8–2. The winner takes home the Governor’s Cup, played for since 1981. Rhode Island has held it since the 2026 game. Share
Brown wins 65
Rhode Island wins 23
Ties 2
Longest streak 23 Brown
Current streak 1 Rhode Island
Last 10 meetings Rhode Island 8–2
The series at a glance Deeper color: bigger margin
Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner ’0 ’1 ’2 ’3 ’4 ’5 ’6 ’7 ’8 ’9 W–L 1900s 1–0 1910s 9–0 1920s 8–0 1930s 9–1 1940s 7–0 1950s 7–3 1960s 6–3–1 1970s 6–3–1 1980s 2–0 2000s 3–4 2010s 6–4 2020s 1–5
Average margin 15.7 points; 34 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Brown 62–15–2 Brown’s record at home
At Rhode Island 8–3 Rhode Island’s record at home
Shutouts 31 Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.
Governor’s Cup
Played for since 1981
Games for it on file 24 Brown 11, Rhode Island 13 Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since 1981 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The rivalry’s article counts the games for it: Rhode Island leads, 24–20. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Governor’s Cup .
Both programs through the years Ticks under the axis: each meeting, in the winner’s color
End-of-season Elo ratings of Brown and Rhode Island, 1909 on 1300 1500 1700 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.
From the newspapers 1909 , Washington, D.C. , Sep 30, 1909
1910 , New York , Oct 6, 1910
1912 , New York [N.Y.] , Oct 6, 1912
1913 , New York [N.Y.] , Oct 9, 1913
1914 , New York [N.Y.] , Oct 4, 1914
Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America , found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.
Photos URI number 19 Matt Pires with the ball. Brown Football vs. URI, 18 September 2021. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The 2021 game Brown Football vs. URI, 18 September 2021. Brown 24, URI 45. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The 2021 game Brown Bears Head Football Coach James Perry. Brown Football vs. URI, 18 September 2021. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel , CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The 2021 game Brown University Bears vs. University of Rhode Island Rams, 18 September 2021. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The 2021 game From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).
Every game Oct 3, 2026 Rhode Island 13, Brown 10 at Rhode Island Oct 3, 2025 Brown 28, Rhode Island 21 at Brown Oct 12, 2024 Rhode Island 31, Brown 21 at Rhode Island Oct 7, 2023 Rhode Island 34, Brown 30 at Brown Oct 1, 2022 Rhode Island 38, Brown 10 at Rhode Island Sep 18, 2021 Rhode Island 45, Brown 24 at Brown Oct 5, 2019 Rhode Island 31, Brown 28 at Brown Oct 6, 2018 Rhode Island 48, Brown 0 at Rhode Island Sep 30, 2017 Brown 24, Rhode Island 21 at Brown Oct 1, 2016 Rhode Island 28, Brown 13 at Rhode Island Oct 3, 2015 Brown 41, Rhode Island 31 at Brown Oct 4, 2014 Brown 20, Rhode Island 13 at Rhode Island Oct 5, 2013 Brown 31, Rhode Island 14 at Brown Oct 6, 2012 Brown 17, Rhode Island 7 at Rhode Island Oct 1, 2011 Brown 35, Rhode Island 21 at Brown Oct 2, 2010 Rhode Island 27, Brown 24 at Rhode Island Oct 3, 2009 Brown 28, Rhode Island 20 at Brown Oct 4, 2008 Rhode Island 37, Brown 13 at Rhode Island Sep 29, 2007 Rhode Island 49, Brown 42 at Brown Sep 30, 2006 Rhode Island 28, Brown 21 at Rhode Island Oct 1, 2005 Brown 45, Rhode Island 35 at Brown Oct 2, 2004 Brown 20, Rhode Island 13 at Rhode Island Oct 4, 2003 Rhode Island 27, Brown 9 at Brown Nov 7, 1981 Brown 10, Rhode Island 8 at Brown Nov 29, 1980 Brown 9, Rhode Island 3 at Brown Sep 29, 1979 Brown 31, Rhode Island 13 at Brown Sep 30, 1978 Rhode Island 17, Brown 3 at Brown Sep 24, 1977 Brown 28, Rhode Island 10 at Brown Sep 25, 1976 Brown 3, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 27, 1975 Brown 41, Rhode Island 20 at Brown Sep 28, 1974 Brown 45, Rhode Island 15 at Brown Sep 29, 1973 Brown 20, Rhode Island 20 at Brown Sep 30, 1972 Rhode Island 21, Brown 17 at Brown Sep 25, 1971 Rhode Island 34, Brown 21 at Brown Sep 26, 1970 Brown 21, Rhode Island 14 at Brown Sep 27, 1969 Brown 21, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 28, 1968 Brown 10, Rhode Island 9 at Brown Sep 30, 1967 Rhode Island 12, Brown 8 at Brown Sep 24, 1966 Brown 40, Rhode Island 27 at Brown Sep 25, 1965 Rhode Island 14, Brown 6 at Brown Oct 24, 1964 Brown 30, Rhode Island 14 at Brown Oct 26, 1963 Brown 33, Rhode Island 7 at Brown Oct 27, 1962 Brown 12, Rhode Island 12 at Brown Oct 28, 1961 Rhode Island 12, Brown 9 at Brown Oct 22, 1960 Brown 36, Rhode Island 14 at Brown Oct 24, 1959 Brown 6, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 25, 1958 Brown 47, Rhode Island 6 at Brown Oct 26, 1957 Brown 21, Rhode Island 7 at Brown Oct 27, 1956 Brown 27, Rhode Island 7 at Brown Oct 22, 1955 Rhode Island 19, Brown 7 at Brown Oct 9, 1954 Brown 35, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 10, 1953 Rhode Island 19, Brown 13 at Brown Oct 11, 1952 Rhode Island 7, Brown 6 at Brown Oct 13, 1951 Brown 20, Rhode Island 13 at Brown Oct 14, 1950 Brown 55, Rhode Island 13 at Brown Oct 8, 1949 Brown 46, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 9, 1948 Brown 33, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 11, 1947 Brown 55, Rhode Island 6 at Brown Oct 12, 1946 Brown 29, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 3, 1942 Brown 28, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 11, 1941 Brown 14, Rhode Island 7 at Brown Oct 5, 1940 Brown 20, Rhode Island 17 at Brown Sep 30, 1939 Brown 34, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 22, 1938 Brown 40, Rhode Island 21 at Brown Oct 2, 1937 Brown 13, Rhode Island 6 at Brown Oct 3, 1936 Brown 7, Rhode Island 6 at Brown Oct 5, 1935 Rhode Island 13, Brown 7 at Brown Oct 6, 1934 Brown 13, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 7, 1933 Brown 26, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 1, 1932 Brown 19, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 3, 1931 Brown 18, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 27, 1930 Brown 7, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 5, 1929 Brown 14, Rhode Island 6 at Brown Nov 24, 1928 Brown 33, Rhode Island 7 at Brown Sep 24, 1927 Brown 27, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 25, 1926 Brown 14, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 26, 1925 Brown 33, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 30, 1922 Brown 27, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 24, 1921 Brown 6, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 25, 1920 Brown 25, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 27, 1919 Brown 27, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 29, 1917 Brown 27, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 30, 1916 Brown 18, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 25, 1915 Brown 38, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 3, 1914 Brown 20, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 4, 1913 Brown 19, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 5, 1912 Brown 14, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 30, 1911 Brown 12, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Oct 1, 1910 Brown 5, Rhode Island 0 at Brown Sep 29, 1909 Brown 6, Rhode Island 0 at Brown
Every game is listed as played on the field.
