SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Rhode Island, which last month finished its best season in a decade, will remain in the Yankee Conference and continue to offer athletic scholarships, President Robert Carothers said Thursday.

The school’s Athletic Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend that “the NCAA football program at [URI] be continued at the current level of competition and funding and compete in the Yankee Conference at the Division I-AA level.”

The decision ends speculation about the future of the Ram football program, which this year posted its first winning season in the conference since 1985.

Last May, Carothers said Rhode Island and five other schools – four of them Yankee Conference members – were considering forming a new I-AA conference similar to the Patriot and Ivy leagues, which offer no football scholarships.

State budget woes have forced broad cuts in URI academic programs and Carothers said he was looking for ways to reduce the cost of athletics.

The decision to stay in the Yankee was based in part on a study that showed cutting scholarships would not save much money, as many football players still would draw from the general, need-based financial aid pool, Athletic Director Ron Petro said.

“In our investigation, according to the figures that we received, there wouldn’t be much, if any, savings to our program in going that route,” Petro said, adding that such a change would “put a lot more pressure on the financial aid office.”

Carothers said the football program must be marketed more aggressively to increase revenues. Including scholarships, the Ram program cost $1.6 million to operate in 1995 and had revenues of just $100,000.

“In the foreseeable future, we will not be able to commit additional general fund dollars to intercollegiate athletics,” Carothers said.

He praised the efforts of coach Floyd Keith, who headed a campaign to renovate the team’s field house, weight room and meeting rooms that generated $100,000 in private gifts.

“The URI community is proud of coach Floyd Keith and the football program he is building,” Carothers said.

“This past season made it clear that URI students and alumni will support a successful football program at the university, as evidenced by both attendance and financial support.”

After winning a total of six games between 1992 and 1994, the Rams went 7-4 this season and were in the conference title chase until the final game. The 8,044 fans at the Nov. 4 game against Villanova was the largest home crowd since 1985.

“What happened this year helped effect a positive decision,” Petro said, referring to Carothers’ announcement. “What would have happened if we were 1-10, I can’t answer that, but you can certainly hypothesize.”