The University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College (originally Rio Grande College) is a private university and public community college merged into one institution in Rio Grande, Ohio, United States. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Ira Haning, a Free Will Baptist minister, persuaded Nehemiah and Permelia Atwood, affluent residents and entrepreneurs, to use their wealth to establish a college. Following Nehemiah's death in 1869, the responsibility for making this dream a reality fell to his wife Permelia. In 1873, Permelia Ridgeway Atwood established an endowment and deeded of land for Rio Grande College, which officially opened on September 13, 1876. In its first year, Ransom Dunn was president as well as professor of mental and moral philosophy.
The Rio Grande athletic teams are called the RedStorm. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the River States Conference (RSC) since the 2014âÂÂ15 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1964âÂÂ65 to 1970âÂÂ71. The RedStorm previously competed in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) from 2009âÂÂ10 to 2013âÂÂ14, and in the defunct American Mideast Conference (AMC) from 1971âÂÂ72 to 2008âÂÂ09.
Rio Grande competes in 26 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, rugby, soccer, track & field (indoor & outdoor), volleyball, and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, rugby, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor & outdoor), and volleyball; and co-ed sports include bass fishing, cheerleading, dance, and eSports. Football, which had been dropped after the 1949 season, will return in 2025, competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).