Rhode Island Rams defeat Merrimack Warriors in football season opener

The Rhode Island Rams opened their 2026 football season with a 34-7 victory over the Merrimack Warriors. Alex McClelland scored two rushing touchdowns, while transfer quarterback Tyler Budge, starting in place of the recovering Devin Farrell, threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Buchanan. Merrimack's only score came via a 2-yard run by Matthias Latham.

In other collegiate sports, the Fordham football team lost its season opener to Colgate University with a score of 24-14. Despite a third-quarter rally fueled by a Justin Johnson pick-six, Colgate secured the win with ten points in the fourth quarter.

In women's soccer, Columbia University suffered its first loss of the season, falling 2-0 to Villanova. Villanova scored goals through Ambyr Baker and Avrie Nelsen to secure the win. Meanwhile, the Pacific men's water polo team began an East Coast tour, scheduled to face Fordham, Iona, Harvard, and MIT.