Rhode Island Breakers unveiled as UFL team prepares for 2027 debut
The renamed Birmingham Stallions franchise will play at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, with AJ McCarron as head coach.
The United Football League unveiled the Rhode Island Breakers name and logo at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket on October 18. The team, previously the Birmingham Stallions, is due to begin play at the stadium in spring 2027, bringing the UFL franchise to Rhode Island under a new identity.
The announcement came at a public launch event where head coach AJ McCarron, UFL president and CEO Russ Brandon and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee spoke, according to The Providence Journal. The league said the stadium will be the Breakers’ home venue; its initial season-ticket offer covers five home games, with prices starting at $75.
What the Rhode Island Breakers name and logo represent
Brandon said the Breakers name reflects the region’s coastal character and has a connection to spring football history. The league’s logo places a lighthouse in the letter I of Rhode Island’s interlocking initials, while the team colors are Riptide Blue, Beacon Yellow, Nor’Easter Navy and Whitecap. The Providence Journal described the relocated club as the former Birmingham Stallions.
The UFL presented the move as part of Rhode Island’s longer professional football history. Its announcement recalled the Providence Steam Roller, founded in 1916, which won the 1928 NFL championship. That precedent gives the launch a local football reference beyond the new team’s coastal branding.
How the Breakers plan to build their 2027 roster
McCarron will coach the Breakers in their inaugural season, the UFL said. The league plans to build from the Birmingham Stallions’ 2026 roster, then add players through its showcases, free agency and the 2027 UFL Draft. The final roster has yet to take shape.
The UFL lists that draft for November 18 in St. Louis and says Rhode Island will hold the third overall pick in the first round and the second pick in the second round. Those selections are the next specified step in assembling the team before its planned spring debut in Pawtucket.
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Sources and context
- Rhode Island’s new UFL team has a name. Meet the BreakersThe Providence Journal (original reporting; carried by Yahoo Sports)
- The Tide is Turning: UFL Introduces the Rhode Island Breakers as the League’s Newest TeamUnited Football League
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.