Introducing the new Credit Unions Spirit Challenge!

With athletic competition halted across the nation, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, in partnership with the Credit Unions of Rhode Island, have created a new, socially-distant way for our member schools to engage in the head-to-head competition missing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting next week, students, fans, alumni, and community members across Rhode Island will have the chance to support their teams via Twitter in the Credit Unions Spirit Challenge, presented by the RIIL and the Credit Unions of Rhode Island.

“Through its Better Values, Better Banking campaign, the Credit Unions of Rhode Island are proud to support the Credit Unions Spirit Challenge,” said Andrew Rogers, Vice President, Operations of Westerly Community Credit Union and Chair of the 2020 Credit Unions Championship Committee. “We all know how important high school athletics are and although we were not able to see the schools compete on the basketball court, we are excited to see them compete virtually.”

The social media event will be hosted on the RIIL Twitter account (@RIIL_sports) and feature a bracket comprising all 56 member high schools. Each matchup will be conducted via Twitter poll, with the school getting more votes advancing to the next round. Early-round matchups will feature two days of voting, but in the later rounds, each matchup will last just one day.

“We recognize how difficult a time this is in our state and around the nation, with countless people impacted by COVID-19,” said RIIL Executive Director Tom Mezzanotte. “Our student-athletes are missing competition and camaraderie and our communities are craving ways to come together and show their support. We hope this virtual event will give students and fans across Rhode Island an opportunity to engage and support their schools.”

The first 12 opening-round matchups will begin on Monday, May 18 with each matchup being posted for voting on the @RIIL_sports Twitter account for a 48-hour period. The rest of the opening round will begin on Wednesday, May 20. View the bracket below to find your school’s date of competition and follow along. Or download a copy of the bracket HERE. We encourage everyone to participate in each round, as there will be multiple matchups to be decided.