Ohio will open its season Saturday against Rhode Island, but before the Rams arrive to Athens, The Post dove into some fun facts about the university:
URI used to be an agriculture school
When the university was founded in 1892, the full name was Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. The school was created and funded by the Hatch Act of 1887, which gave federal funds to land-grant schools to have agricultural experimental stations.
It is one of only 37 post-secondary schools in the state
URI is just one of a small bunch of higher-education schools in the whole state. Other schools include Brown University, Bryant University and Providence College. Ohio, by comparison, has 386 post-secondary schools.
Rhody the Ram isn’t a real ram
The university’s official mascot, Rhody the Ram, pays homage to its agricultural roots and foundations. Rhode Island used to have a live ram until 1974 when the university had a student dress in a costume.
The big school in the small state
URI is the largest school in the state in terms of total student enrollment. Over 18,000 students are enrolled at the university. By land mass, however, Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country. It is only 1,045 square miles, and the drive across Interstate 95 through the state is roughly 45 minutes.
Notable alumni
Over the years, Rhode Island has produced famed names in society including former NBA player Lamar Odom, current Pitt Panthers football coach Pat Narduzzi, former CVS Corp. CEO Thomas Ryan, developer of the intense P90X workout Tony Horton and Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the remnants of the Titanic.
