Years ago, the University of Rhode Island invested a full scholarship in a kid from Brockton with nothing but grit. Because his father said, “Figure it out,” if he needed to go to college. So that scholarship was his lifeline. Today, that kid returned the favor with a $2 million donation to give the next generation the same chance he got.

Mark S. Cruise, a URI Hall of Fame football player, along with his wife, Sue Cruise, just made the largest single donation ever received by the program from one entity.

For an in-form FCS program, that $2 million donation sum could be a way to help fund scholarships and attract elite talent. From the sum, $1.5 million will be used to create the Mark ’81 ’84 & Sue ’84 Cruise Endowed Scholarship program, targeted for a football player from the Brockton, Massachusetts area, Cruise’s hometown. As for the rest, $500,000 is part of a naming rights honor that will also support renovations to the football locker rooms. These upgrades in themselves align with a massive infrastructure shift.

With approval from the URI Board of Trustees and the Rhode Island General Assembly, URI will change the name of its practice field adjacent to the Ryan Center to ‘Mark S. Cruise Football Practice Field.’ The naming rights will also honor Cruise’s past coaches, Pete Adrian and Fazio Bagnoli, both of whom influenced Cruise tremendously during his time at URI.

“The football program’s recent on-field success, plus having a local URI hall of fame athlete give back to the school, creates a perfect storm in helping the football program remain highly competitive within an ever-evolving college athletics landscape,” Mark Antonucci, CEO of the URI Foundation, said. “This generous gift from Mark and Sue Cruise sends a signal nationally that donors see value in both URI and our football program,” Antonucci added.

URI Interim Athletic Director Brittney Miles also noted the collective effort behind the gift, crediting former athletic director Thorr Bjorn and associate athletic director Garrett Waller with helping secure the pledge.

Cruise more than anyone knows what that offer does for a player and for the program. He took the offer and flourished in the program, starting every single game during his four-year stint, and he was the MVP in his senior season. Captaining the team, Cruise earned second-team All-Yankee conference honors and recorded 71 tackles and 3 interceptions in the season, eventually getting noticed by the NFL teams.

“I know it’s not easy to put food on the table, let alone send kids to college,” Cruise said. “And I also know URI will allocate the funds to those kids in need who have a desire to work hard and thrive. I also hope this scholarship creates a multiplier effect where other alumni, friends, and former student-athletes can help these students.”

As a junior in the program, Cruise had a tremendous impact, notching 60 tackles and three fumble recoveries. Though he wasn’t drafted in the NFL draft, the class of 1981 defensive end still was taken as a free agent by the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys. Despite an opportunity to chart an NFL trajectory, Mark explored other avenues because of his academic credentials at the university.

Mark earned his MBA from the university in 1984 after completing his bachelor’s degree and established a financial consulting firm. The firm is based in Providence and has more than 40 years of experience in helping families reach financial independence and meet their financial goals. Apart from that, Mark has been a member of Rhode Island’s Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for 42 years and is active in the in-state community. In all, Mark’s donation can now play a major role in URI’s success, which has already hit a purple patch.

URI is planning big for its athletes with a $65 million state-funded project

URI Football, under head coach Jim Fleming, has found tremendous success in recent years. The program has won back-to-back CAA championships and finished 11-3 in the 2025 season. Never mind the Rams earned an NCAA FCS Division 1 tournament berth in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, advancing to the second round. Seeing that dominance, even the state government is supporting the program.

URI has ushered in a whopping $65.8 million capital plan, which is also included in the state budget. That also includes a $42 million allocation to the 6,555-seater Meade Stadium, for which the program is also doing crowdfunding. “We are stepping up to support our student-athletes in a significant way by investing in championship-caliber people and facilities,” URI President Marc Parlange said. “We are grateful to Gov. McKee, House Speaker Shekarchi, Senate President Ruggerio, and all our elected leaders for their support.

Our student-athletes work tirelessly. They represent our University and our state on a national stage. And they are a huge source of pride— not just for URI, but for all of Rhode Island.” Currently, the stadium’s renovation is in full swing, and it will involve tearing down the whole structure and building anew. The renovated plans include an east stand, a press box, and upgraded facilities to match URI’s ambitions and attract top brass athletes.

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For now, the team will play its 2026 games at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket. The stadium is already the home of the Rhode Island FC soccer team of the USL Championship and seats 10,500 people. URI aims to complete its stadium renovation by 2027, and hopefully, more donors like Mark Cruise will come to support the program’s ambitions.