Rutgers adds Howard to Football Schedule

[HIU 93]

Rutgers adds Howard to home football slate
Wednesday, February 22, 2006


PISCATAWAY -- Rutgers has finalized its 2006 football schedule with a Sept. 23 home game against Howard University. Schedule information with game times and the latest television information will be released at a later date.

The Scarlet Knights' game at South Florida has been moved to Friday, Sept. 29, and will be televised nationally on ESPN2. It is Rutgers' third nationally televised game.

Rutgers, coming off a 7-5 season and an Insight Bowl appearance, will open spring practice on March 25. The annual Scarlet-White game is April 22 at 2 p.m. at Rutgers Stadium.

Tickets are $5, with all proceeds going to the pediatric units of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peter's University. Tickets can be purchased the day of the game at the stadium ticket office. For more information, call Rutgers Sports Marketing Office at (732) 445- 3342.

http://www.bergen.com/page.php?

[henfan]

Sure wish DSU didn't pull out of the deal that would have had them playing Rutgers in '06.

[colgate13]

Hmmmm... I know there are plenty of Colgate folk that would like to start that rivalry back up.

[Pard4Life]

Wow.. Howard... that will be competitive....

Still can't respect Rutgers or any of their male athletic teams.

[Fordham]

Congrats Howard. Nice game to pick up.

[Go...gate]

Right on, 13. I'll never forget Doug Graber sticking it to Ed Sweeney and running up the score, 68-6 in Sweeney's first game as the Colgate coach. Neither Sweeney nor the program would recover for several years.

[DFW HOYA]

Of course, Howard never seems to find a game with Georgetown.

[gram4life]

Of course, Howard never seems to find a game with Georgetown.

Does that go both ways or is it just Howard? Just asking

[GannonFan]

Let's cut Georgetown a little slack here - they've only been in the Patriot League since 2001, and many would argue they are only now, or just recently, coming up to IAA standards in terms of competitiveness on the field. They came from the MAAC and their early OOC schedules included a fair amount of these teams as they came up to speed, and of course the Patriot League has that OOC scheduling practice of playing several Ivy League schools so some OOC gets gobbled up that way. And as the other poster said, schools around the DC area almost never schedule each other in any major sport (notice Georgetown and Maryland hardly playing each other in men's basketball for instance). If they don't play Howard in the next few years then maybe they are ducking them.

[IaaScribe]

This was actually Liberty's game, not Delaware State's, though the Hornets apparently pulled out of the deal first, then Liberty stepped in to take the spot. Then Liberty pulled out when Rocco was hired.

[blukeys]

Hmmmm... I know there are plenty of Colgate folk that would like to start that rivalry back up.


As would Lehigh, As would Lafayette, As would Delaware, Rutgers was a CONFERENCE opponent for all three in the 50's and 60's. But then Rutgers packed up and said they were too good for Middle Atlantic Conference Opponents!!

It is interesting that Rutgers has scheduled Howard but ducked these geographically closer but long time competitors. Did Nova and UNH make Rutgers scared of a truly competitive I-AA team? Sure looks like it.

I would love to see a Rutgers - Ud matchup. I was at the last one a 44-0 UD blow out. But I would be satisfied if Rutgers had the kahones to give Lehigh of Lafayette a shot as well. My guess when it comes to I-AA, Rutgers will schedule MEAC or NEC teams for the forseeable future.

Nova and UNH have taught them that certain I-AA teams are too good schedule.

[ngineer]

As would Lehigh, As would Lafayette, As would Delaware, Rutgers was a CONFERENCE opponent for all three in the 50's and 60's. But then Rutgers packed up and said they were too good for Middle Atlantic Conference Opponents!!

It is interesting that Rutgers has scheduled Howard but ducked these geographically closer but long time competitors. Did Nova and UNH make Rutgers scared of a truly competitive I-AA team? Sure looks like it.

I would love to see a Rutgers - Ud matchup. I was at the last one a 44-0 UD blow out. But I would be satisfied if Rutgers had the kahones to give Lehigh of Lafayette a shot as well. My guess when it comes to I-AA, Rutgers will schedule MEAC or NEC teams for the forseeable future.

Nova and UNH have taught them that certain I-AA teams are too good schedule.

On point, there. Lafayette and Lehigh would love to renew that old rivalry. Rutgers is less than an hour away and I know Lehigh would have a great turnout with all the alums within the NYC/NJ/PA area.

[DFW HOYA]

That's a knife that cuts both ways. Actually, it cuts more in the way of G'Town. They have refused to play Howard on more than one occasion. I don't think they will ever play. The DC schools (all of them) don't seem to push to schedule each other that much in any sport.

Maybe in basketball, but not in football. In fact, Georgetown's open dates have almost always been filled by Howard for "classic games", and it's a little hard to blame them given the revenue potential. And at least one other MEAC had been scheduled, but that school withdrew for a better revenue offer.

Sports Network likes to chide Georgetown for its scheduling, but it's a two way street. Schools outside the NEC or MAAC have not shown much interested in a series with Georgetown, and the former field conditions in Washington DC haven't helped. That GU still had two open dates into February is an example of this.

[HIU 93]

My guess when it comes to I-AA, Rutgers will schedule MEAC or NEC teams for the forseeable future.



That's not exactly true. They won't play us or SCSU either. They don't want to get beat, so they won't schedule any strong teams OOC, I-A or I-AA.

[SouthMountainWreckingBall]

As would Lehigh, As would Lafayette, As would Delaware, Rutgers was a CONFERENCE opponent for all three in the 50's and 60's. But then Rutgers packed up and said they were too good for Middle Atlantic Conference Opponents!!

It is interesting that Rutgers has scheduled Howard but ducked these geographically closer but long time competitors. Did Nova and UNH make Rutgers scared of a truly competitive I-AA team? Sure looks like it.

I would love to see a Rutgers - Ud matchup. I was at the last one a 44-0 UD blow out. But I would be satisfied if Rutgers had the kahones to give Lehigh of Lafayette a shot as well. My guess when it comes to I-AA, Rutgers will schedule MEAC or NEC teams for the forseeable future.

Nova and UNH have taught them that certain I-AA teams are too good schedule.



Rutgers couldn't play Colgate, Lafayette or Lehigh because a win would not count towards bowl eligibility. Delaware would, but they have nothing to gain in playing you since there would be no credit in blowing you out (as they most likely would) and on the remote chance that it was "a game" or a loss it would hurt them tremendously. They already play OOC at Chapel Hill, at Navy and home against what should be an improved Illinois team, so a one and done home game against a patsy is a no-brainer. Rutgers is no longer the same program that lost to Nova and UNH but they're still a few more strong recruiting classes from making any A-10 game a guaranteed bloodbath so I don't blame them at all for going this route.

[UAalum72]

My guess when it comes to I-AA, Rutgers will schedule MEAC or NEC teams for the forseeable future.


Rutgers couldn't play Colgate, Lafayette or Lehigh because a win would not count towards bowl eligibility.
Neither would an NEC game count yet - I-AA teams must have 90% of the maximum equivalencies (about 56.75) for a game to count toward qualification.