Rhode Island FC president Brett Luy departs after just 18 months with the club
Just two months into its inaugural season, Rhode Island FC has undergone major changes.
Brett Luy, the club’s president, has taken a new role as special adviser with the team's parent company, Fortuitous Partners, and will not be involved in the day-to-day activities of the soccer team, a statement on Thursday morning from Fortuitous Partners said.
Thursday’s statement from spokesman Mike Raia, on behalf of Fortuitous Partners chairman and Rhode Island FC cofounder Brett Johnson, states: “Brett played an important role as the club's inaugural president. He oversaw the efforts to secure important sponsors, develop a strong working relationship with Bryant University and build the club's first-ever roster.”
The statement also said the club expects to name a new president in the near future and that David Brady, a senior consultant to the board, will oversee the club's day-to-day operations in the interim.
Luy was announced as RIFC’s president in November 2022. An early change at the top of the club's leadership seemed unlikely as Brett Johnson said at the time of the hiring: “When we set out to hire a president, we wanted someone who shared our passion for connecting the club with the community and someone who can build a competitive franchise immediately.”
Johnson also said at that time that he was certain that Luy would “build Rhode Island FC into a crown jewel franchise for USL.”
RIFC currently holds a 1-3-6 record and is 11th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Luy previously served as executive vice president of league operations for USL, where he oversaw the competition and operations of all USL properties.
RIFC attendance at a glance
Through five home games this season, the club has an average attendance of 4,127 in a 5,252-person venue. Games are played at Beirne Stadium at Bryant University while the club’s permanent venue is under construction in Pawtucket.
John Morrissey, who tracks USL attendance data, has 14 clubs with a higher average attendance than RIFC. The USL Championship is a 24-team league with 12 clubs each in the Eastern and Western conferences.
The league average is 4,988, according to Morrissey.
New Mexico United has the highest average attendance, 10,645, with a 9.3% growth from last year. Las Vegas Lights has the lowest attendance in the league at just 1,372.
There are four clubs with just slightly higher attendances than the Ocean State team — Hartford (4,186), Orange County FC (4,340), FC Tulsa (4,358) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (4,724).
What to know about Tidewater Landing
RIFC is set to move to its new stadium next season. Tidewater Landing in Pawtucket is scheduled to open early next year and will seat 10,500 fans in what's expected to be the most expensive minor-league soccer stadium in the country.
In February, Pawtucket sold a $54.3-million tax-free bond for the project. Under the terms of the bond, the state is projected to pay $132 million in total debt service over the next 30 years.
Initially, the Tidewater stadium was supposed to anchor a $400-million development spanning the Seekonk River and Interstate 95, featuring hundreds of apartments, shops, offices, a hotel and an event center. The state first approved a $50-million public subsidy package for the development in February 2021 after the segment north of I-95 had been eliminated, trimming the project to 25 acres.
But before work could begin, inflation spiked and the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, sending the project cost soaring. At last count, the stadium is now expected to cost $137 million.
RIFC home game attendance
March 16 vs. New Mexico United: 5,252.
April 6 vs. Charleston Battery: 3,729.
April 13 vs. Pittsburg Riverhounds SC: 3,678.
April 26 vs. Phoenix Rising RF: 4,000,
May 11 vs. Sacramento Republic FC: 3,974.
jrousseau@providencejournal.com
On X: @ByJacobRousseau
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RIFC president Brett Luy and club part ways after just 18 months
