(Editor’s note: This is the 19th installment in a weekly series spotlighting Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium from a business perspective throughout the 2025 United Soccer League Championship season. To read past stories in this series, click here.)
PAWTUCKET – Despite various obstacles, including some from Mother Nature, fans continue to flock their way to Centreville Bank Stadium.
And the numbers show.
The new 10,500-seat waterfront stadium is not only among the top-25% in paid attendance United Soccer League competition this season, but it also has the highest per-match average of all such venues with capacities of 10,000 or more, according to Providence Business News’ review of paid attendance figures across all United Soccer League Championship home venues.
PBN looked over each team’s home attendance for all USL Championship and USL Jagermeister Cup contests for the current season. The review omitted games held in neutral sites.
Paid attendance, which notes purchased tickets, is used by all teams in all sports leagues to determine how many seats were sold for a particular contest. Paid attendance does not mean actual physical attendance. Also, these attendance figures do not include info from the Major League Rugby Championship game from late June, the three Boston Banshees Women’s Elite Rugby matches and other events held at the stadium.
As of Sept. 6 – Rhode Island FC’s 1-0 home loss to Louisville City FC – Centreville Bank Stadium’s paid attendance is 125,091 through 15 total home matches. Average per-game paid attendance in that stretch is 8,339 people, per the attendance data, accounting for 79.4% of the stadium’s total capacity. That percentage ranks Rhode Island FC and Centerville Bank Stadium No. 5 across the 24-team USL Championship level.
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which plays at the soon-to-be-expanded 5,000-seat Highmark Stadium, on average fills 94.1% of the venue every game, highest in USL Championship. The Riverhounds have played in front of oversold-out crowds in eight of their last 10 matches, most of any USL Championship club.
However, Centreville Bank Stadium’s average paid capacity percentage for Rhode Island FC matches this year is the highest among teams playing in stadiums that have more than 10,000 seats – Louisville City FC, Indy Eleven, Birmingham Legion FC, Miami FC, Oakland Roots and Sacramento Republic FC. Rhode Island FC thus far has had four over-sellouts; the May 3 opening day, the July 5 match with Birmingham (which included the city’s July 4 postgame fireworks display), the July 19 rivalry game vs. Hartford Athletic and the Sept. 6 match, themed “Kids Night.”
However, some actual attendances, including for the Sept. 6 match, were hampered by poor weather to where around 50% to 60% of the building, at best, was full. Also, the USL Jager Cup quarterfinal match on Aug. 20 drew just 3,703 paid attendance due to inclement weather.
This year’s attendance total, though, is an obvious jump for Rhode Island FC from the previous season playing in the 5,200-seat Beirne Stadium at Bryant University of Smithfield. Rhode Island FC President David Peart told Providence Business News the organization expected to be in the top quartile within the USL, especially with the new building now online. He said the club is “outkicking” its coverage with its paid attendance, particularly against larger cities around the league.
“For us and to rival and be in the company of much-larger marketplaces is an exciting thing,” Peart said.
Club Chief Marketing Officer Sabine Feldmann told PBN some strategies the team utilized to attract fans to the stadium was making the environment fan-friendly, such as with the fan zone along the riverwalk, the in-game contests and promotions and theme nights, plus affordability to going to games.
“We’ve heard from so many families who love bringing their kids to fan fest to get free balloon animals and get their face painted,” Feldmann said. “It’s much more than going to a soccer game; it’s the overall experience.”
Moving forward, Peart says having a high season-ticket membership renewal rate and providing good experiences for all fans, along with Rhode Island FC playing winning soccer, will maintain that high attendance at Centreville Bank Stadium.
“It’s basic blocking and tackling,” he said.
Current team record (wins-losses-draws): 7-11-6, 27 points; 8th place of 12 in USL Championship Eastern Conference
Result of previous match: Rhode Island FC 1, Indy Eleven 0 (from Sept. 13)
Next match: Sept. 19, vs. Miami FC at Centreville Bank Stadium, 7 p.m.
James Bessette is a contributing writer and former PBN special projects editor. You may follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
