Rutgers Scarlet Knights football

History

Early history (1869–1958)

On November 6, 1869, Rutgers University and Princeton University competed in the first intercollegiate football game. The site for the contest was a small plot of land on what is now College Avenue on Rutgers' campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The structure of the game resembled more of a soccer and rugby-style contest in which players were allowed to kick and bat the ball with their fists and hands, instead of modern-day football. At the time, Rutgers was referred to as the Queensmen, a homage to the school's chartered name of Queen's College. The Rutgers squad was captained by William J. Leggett and donned scarlet kerchiefs atop their heads in an effort to distinguish between the two teams. Rutgers won the contest by a score of 6–4. A week after the first game was held in New Brunswick, Rutgers visited Princeton for a second matchup. This time, Princeton prevailed by a score of 8–0. Rutgers and Princeton had planned for a third game in the 1869 season, but the contest never took place due to fears that the games were interfering with the students' studies. Thus, both schools would end the season with a record of 1–1. From 1929 to 1975, Rutgers was a member of the Middle Three Conference, which consisted of a round-robin against Lafayette College and Lehigh University.

J. Wilder Tasker served as the head football coach of the Queensmen football program for seven seasons, from 1931 to 1937. Under his leadership, the Scarlet Knights compiled a record of 31–27–5. Tasker was replaced by Harvey Harman, who led the team from 1938 through the 1940s and into the 1950s (Rutgers did not field a football team from 1942 to 1946 due to World War II). Harvey Harman's record was 33–26–1 in a total of 14 seasons. Succeeding Tasker was John Stiegman, who compiled a record of 22–15 in four seasons. Starting in 1940, the 'conference champion' received the Little Brass Cannon. Following Lehigh's capture of the Little Brass Cannon in 1951, Rutgers became an independent team in 1952, Rutgers still played games against Lafayette and the Middle Three round-robin in the 1953 season.

John Bateman era (1960–1972)

John Bateman succeeded Stiegman and coached the Scarlet Knights for 13 seasons, compiling a record of 73–51. After compiling an 8–1 record in their first year under Bateman, the 1961 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team compiled a perfect 9–0 record, the first undefeated season in program history, and won the Middle Atlantic Conference University Division championship. Center Alex Kroll was the 1961 team captain and selected as a consensus All-American. In 1961, Rutgers was one of two major teams to compile a perfect season, Alabama being the other. The Scarlet Knights were considered a contender for the Rose Bowl, but were not selected because university president Mason Welch Gross did not express the same interest with the Rose Bowl's organizers.

Rutgers also compiled an 8–2 campaign in 1968.

Although Rutgers continued to be a part of the Middle Three until 1975, Rutgers became a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference from 1958 to 1961. Rutgers won the conference championship in three of those four years (1958, 1960, and 1961) and was awarded the Wilmington Touchdown Club Trophy. Rutgers then again became independent, and then remained so until it joined the Big East Conference in 1991.

Frank Burns era (1973–1983)

Frank Burns was promoted from assistant coach, to the head coach after John Bateman's departure, under Burns, the Scarlet Knights enjoyed eight consecutive winning seasons, which included a 9–2 campaign in the 1975 season, and a perfect 11–0 season in 1976, followed by winning records of 8–3, 9–3, 8–3 and 7–4 seasons. In 1976, Rutgers declined an invitation to play an unranked McNeese State University team at the inaugural Independence Bowl, by feeling snubbed by more prestigious bowl games despite their 11–0 perfect season.

In 1978, Rutgers appeared in its first bowl game, the Garden State Bowl, which it lost to Arizona State by a score of 34–18. However, with consecutive 5–6 campaigns in 1981 and 1982, and a 3–8 record in 1983, resulted in Frank Burns being dismissed as Rutgers head coach. Frank Burns left Rutgers with a 78–43–1 overall record.

Dick Anderson era (1984–1989)

Penn State offensive line coach Dick Anderson was hired to replace Burns in 1984. The Scarlet Knights mostly struggled during Dick Anderson's tenure as head coach despite winning records in 1984, 1986 and 1987, which resulted in Anderson's firing after the end of the 1989 season.

Doug Graber era (1990–1995)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Doug Graber took over the Rutgers football program starting in 1990. Under Graber's tutelage, the Scarlet Knights achieved winning seasons in 1991 and 1992, but struggled to maintain consistency and, following a 4–7 campaign in 1995, Graber was fired with two years remaining on his original seven-year contract. Rutgers joined the Big East Conference in all sports in 1991. The team struggled to compete throughout the 1990s, facing powerhouse teams from Virginia Tech, Miami, and West Virginia on a yearly basis.

Terry Shea era (1996–2000)

Longtime assistant coach Terry Shea was hired to replace Graber in December 1995, However, the Rutgers program suffered its worst five-year stretch in program history. Shea's tenure not only failed to produce a single winning season, it failed to win more than three games in a single season with the exception of a 5–6 campaign in 1998. After the 2000 season Shea was fired.

Greg Schiano era (2001–2011)

Greg Schiano took over as head coach after Terry Shea's termination. Despite some early recruiting successes, his first four years resulted in losing seasons. In 2005, the team achieved its first winning season since Graber's 7-4 campaign in 1992, which notched them a rematch bowl berth against Arizona State in the 2005 Insight Bowl. In that game, Rutgers lost 45–40 in a shootout, but was led by a 100-yard rushing performance from freshman running back Ray Rice. In 2006, Rutgers started the season with nine straight wins, culminating in a momentous eighteen-point comeback victory at home against the Louisville Cardinals, ranked third at the time, in what became known as the "Pandemonium In Piscataway." Kicker Jeremy Ito sealed the 28–25 win with a field goal.

The following week, Rutgers got to its highest polling rank in school history, topping out at No. 7 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the BCS. At year's end, the Scarlet Knights had a record of 11–2 and a postseason rank of No. 12 in the AP Poll, with a victory in the postseason: Rutgers beat Kansas State 37–10 in the Texas Bowl. It was the first bowl win in Rutgers history. The following year, Rutgers received its first preseason rank in the AP Poll at No. 16. 2007 was an up-and-down year for the Scarlet Knights, rising into the Top 10 for the second consecutive year, only to suffer back-to-back losses. Highlighted by a 30–27 upset over second ranked South Florida, and ended with an 8–5 record and a 52–30 victory over Ball State in the International Bowl. 2008 saw Rutgers again go 8–5, beginning the year 1–5 with a slow start, before seven straight victories to finish the season, winning 29–23 in the PapaJohns.com Bowl with a victory over NC State.

In 2009, Rutgers entered the season as the favorite to win the Big East Conference. However, the season opener was a loss to Cincinnati, who would end up with a perfect regular season—and the conference title. Rutgers finished the season with a 9–4 record, defeating UCF 45–24 in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Rutgers' streak of five consecutive bowl appearances ended in 2010, a year marred by a spinal cord injury suffered by defensive lineman Eric LeGrand in the sixth game of the season against Army. Rutgers lost its final six games that year, and finished with a record of 4–8. In 2011 Rutgers finished 9–4 with a postseason win over Iowa State 27–13 in the Pinstripe Bowl.

After the 2011 season, Schiano left Rutgers less than a week before National Signing Day to become the head coach of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Schiano left Rutgers with a 68–67 overall record. Schiano also finished 5–1 overall in the post season in eleven years as head coach. He left Rutgers ranked second on the all-time wins list.

Kyle Flood era (2012–2015)

Kyle Flood was promoted from offensive line coach and took over as head coach after Schiano's departure. He was the 29th head coach in Rutgers football history. In 2012, Rutgers began the season 7–0, including a 35–26 defeat of Arkansas on the road in Fayetteville. The team reached a No. 15 ranking in both the BCS and AP Polls, before a surprise homecoming loss to Kent State by a score of 35–23. Rutgers would go on to finish the regular season 9–3, including a heartbreaking 20–17 loss to Louisville in the last game of the season, in which the winner would clinch the conference's BCS Bowl berth. Rutgers suffered yet another bowl loss in the Russell Athletic Bowl, dropping an overtime decision to former Big East foe Virginia Tech by a score of 13–10. In November 2012, Rutgers was announced as a formal expansion acquisition of the Big Ten Conference, alongside rival Maryland of the ACC. Both Maryland and Rutgers were unanimously accepted to join the conference in all sports, effective July 1, 2014. Before this, however, Rutgers competed for one season in the American Athletic Conference, with the remaining teams of the Big East Conference.

Despite high expectations, Rutgers had an underwhelming 2013 season in the AAC, finishing 6–7 after losing the New Era Pinstripe Bowl to Notre Dame by a score of 29–16. 2014 marked Rutgers football's first official season of Big Ten play, with conference home games against Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, as well as road games against Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Maryland. Rutgers finished the 2014 season in the Big Ten with a conference record of 3–5, including its first Big Ten Conference win over conference member Michigan, and an overall record of 7–5. Rutgers became bowl-eligible with that record and earned an invitation to play on December 26, 2014, in the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, where it trounced North Carolina 40–21 and capped off its inaugural Big Ten season at 8–5. After the 2014 season, the Scarlet Knights were awarded their first Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, being recognized as the top team in the eastern region. Looking to back up its strong showing in 2014 with another successful campaign in the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights struggled in 2015, beleaguered before the onset of the season by the arrest of multiple active players on assault-related charges. During the season, the Scarlet Knights failed to gain traction, finishing 4–8 with a 1–7 Big Ten Record. Amid the disappointment of a poor season and off-the field issues, both head coach Kyle Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann were both fired on November 29, 2015.

Chris Ash era (2016–2019)

On December 7, 2015, Rutgers officially announced Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash as the Scarlet Knights' new head football coach, becoming the 30th head coach in program history. Rutgers posted a 2–10 record in Ash's first season, in the 2016 campaign. In 2017, Rutgers started their first 4 games with only 1 win against Morgan State by the score of 65–0. They won their second game of the season in Illinois, for their first Big Ten win in 2 years. Rutgers finished 4–8 overall in Chris Ash second season as head coach. In 2018, Rutgers had a disappointing season, finishing 1–11 in Chris Ash third season as head coach. Rutgers won their home season opener against Texas State 35–7. Rutgers finished last in Big Ten play. Chris Ash, entering his fourth season as head coach, started the 2019 Rutgers football season with a win over the UMass Minutemen 48–21. On September 29, 2019, a day after a 52–0 loss to Michigan, Ash was fired as the Rutgers football head coach. Assistant Nunzio Campanile would replace him as interim head coach. Chris Ash had a dismal record in the four seasons he was with the Scarlet Knights, he finished 8–32 overall.

Greg Schiano's return (2020–present)

On December 1, 2019, Rutgers and Greg Schiano agreed to an 8-year, $32 million contract that would see him return as the head coach of the Scarlet Knights. The 2020 season presented unforeseen challenges dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Playing a Big Ten-only schedule, the Scarlet Knights were one of just two teams in the conference to play all nine of its scheduled games. Rutgers, despite missing spring and summer camp, matched the program high with three Big Ten victories, all away to equal the number of league road wins the previous six seasons combined. Rutgers finished the 2020 season 3–6 overall. The program also achieved academic success with 46 student-athletes recognized on the Fall Academic All-Big Ten list, the most for the Scarlet Knights since joining the conference. The team posted its highest GPA ever as a program during the spring 2020 semester. In 2021 Schiano's second season back as head coach and playing a full schedule, Rutgers went 5–7 overall. It was an improvement but also disappointing given that expectations were for bowl eligibility. However On December 23, the NCAA football oversight committee approved Rutgers as the first bowl alternate, under rules whereby five-win teams are ranked by Academic Progress Rate (APR) calculations. Rutgers finished first in APR among the five-win schools and was given the option to accept the bid. Rutgers accepted the bowl bid to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to play against Wake Forest with only a week of preparation for the game, Rutgers would go on to lose by a score of 38–10.

In 2022, Rutgers won their first three games of the season, then would go on to win only one game the rest of the season, winning against the Indiana Hoosiers for their only conference win, finishing the season with a disappointing 4–8 overall record. However, despite the team's losing record, it was a milestone year for head coach Greg Schiano becoming the all-time winningest coach in the programs history with 79 career wins, passing legendary coach Frank Burns 78 career wins.

In 2023 Rutgers won seven games to secure its first winning season since 2014. The Scarlet Knights picked up three Big Ten wins to match the program high previously set in 2014, 2017 and 2020. Rutgers strength of schedule was ranked second nationally heading into bowl season and finished number four and highest among Big Ten teams according to the ESPN College Football Power Index. Eight opponents from the regular season appeared in bowl games. Rutgers solid defense and running back Kyle Monangai who rushed for 1,262 yards with 8 touchdowns led the Scarlet Knights to the postseason where Rutgers defeated the Miami Hurricanes in the Pinstripe Bowl by a score of 31–24 in which Monangai rushed for 163 yards and 1 rushing touchdown and was the MVP of the game.

Conference affiliations

Middle States Intercollegiate Football League (1893–1894)

Middle Three Conference (1946–1951)

Middle Atlantic Conference (University Division) (1958–1961)

Big East Conference (1991–2012)

American Athletic Conference (2013)

Big Ten Conference (2014–present)

Championships

National championships

Rutgers claims one national championship.

Conference championships

Rutgers has one conference championship.

† Co-champions

Division championships

Three University Division titles as a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC).

Bowl games

Rutgers has played in 13 bowl games, with a postseason record of 7–6.

Head coaches

There have been 29 head coaches of the Rutgers football team, 4 of whom have served in multiple tenures. Greg Schiano is currently the head coach.

† Interim

Logos and uniforms

Traditional uniforms have featured red jerseys, white pants, and red helmets but the particular style has changed many times over the years. The helmets, in particular, have featured a wide range of logos. The Block R logo has seen various forms over the years but what fans now consider the "traditional" team logo debuted in 2001. Between 2012 and 2016, the uniform featured a distinctive chrome helmet with a rotation of red, black, and white jerseys that are based on the team's knight mascot. Rutgers returned to more of their traditional uniform (red jerseys, white pants, and red helmets) in 2016.

Black jerseys had been rarely used by the team until 2011. Since 2011, Rutgers has traditionally held a blackout game each year where they wear full black uniforms. The current ones have red numbers with white outline.

In 2019, Rutgers sent a cease-and-desist letter about the Block R logo to Ruston High School in Ruston, Louisiana. The controversy was reported by national media outlets.

In September 2022, Rutgers unveiled new, white uniforms with red trim and matching white helmets at the season opener against Boston College.

Rivalries

Princeton

The Princeton and Rutgers rivalry is a college rivalry in athletics between the Tigers of Princeton University, and Rutgers both of which are located in New Jersey. The rivalry dates back to the first college football game in history in 1869, and even events prior to the first football game, having played against each other in other sports, prior to the first football game, along with engaging in the Rutgers–Princeton Cannon War. Although the football series ended between Rutgers and Princeton in 1980 due to the two schools going in different directions with their football programs, the rivalry has continued in other sports, primarily in men's basketball.

Maryland

Before both Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten, the two schools played each other in nonconference play nine times between 1920 and 2009, with Maryland holding a 5-4 record. When both schools joined the Big Ten in 2014, they were placed in the Big Ten's newly formed East Division.

In seven of the 10 years in the Big Ten East era (2014–23), Rutgers and Maryland played each other the final week of the season. Through 2025, Maryland leads the rivalry 12-9, with a 7-5 record in the Big Ten, while Rutgers has won the previous two match ups. In 2016, Rutgers Athletic Director Patrick E. Hobbs and then-coach Chris Ash told reporters the schools had "initial conversations with Maryland" to create a trophy, but no trophy has been created to date.

The expanded 18-member Big Ten eliminated the divisional format in 2024 and introduced the Flex Protect XVIII model. The conference designated Maryland-Rutgers as one of 12 protected annual matchups through at least the 2028 season.

Other rivals

Syracuse

The Syracuse-Rutgers football rivalry, primarily fueled by their years as Big East conference opponents, is a historic matchup marked by Syracuse's early dominance (12-game win streak 1987-98) followed by Rutgers' resurgence under Greg Schiano, who turned the tide in the 2000s, creating competitive bragging rights that resurfaced when they briefly met again in 2021 after a nine-year hiatus. The rivalry featured memorable games that contributed to the history of both programs, highlighting the significance of regional pride and competitive spirit in college football. In 2012, Syracuse accepted an invitation to leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) subsequently ending the rivalry in 2013.

Temple

The Temple-Rutgers football rivalry, sometimes called the "Battle of the Brick", is a regional contest marked by proximity and history, intensified by conference shifts like the Big East era, with recent matchups often close, featuring Rutgers winning key recent games, but Temple having had success previously, making it a competitive, sometimes bitter, matchup for bragging rights in the Northeast. Rutgers leads the series against Temple 24–15. The series is set to resume in 2030

Traditions

The "Scarlet Walk"

Before every home football game, the team travels down the "Scarlet Walk" greeting fans and the players touch the "First Game" statue commemorating the first ever college football game played in 1869.

The Cannon

A cannon is fired after a Rutgers touchdown and at the end of a game with a Rutgers win.

The call-and-response

A chant where one side of the stadium yells "R" and the other side responds with "U".

Recognized players

Rutgers has had many key contributing players in its 156-year history of college football. Dating back to the 1910s, the university has had several All-American candidates as well as a couple of once potential Heisman Trophy candidates in its history.

1910s

Paul Robeson, born in Princeton, NJ played under future College Football Hall of Fame coach George Sanford. In his junior and senior years, playing as an end, Robeson was selected as an All-American in 1917 and 1918. After college, he played three years in the early NFL, first with the Akron Pros in 1921 and then the Milwaukee Badgers in 1922. Robeson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1995.

1920s

Homer Hazel first played for Rutgers in 1915, and then from 1923 to 1924. He was twice named an All-American, as an end in 1923 and a fullback in 1924. Hazel was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1951.

1950s

Bill Austin, a native of Fanwood, NJ was one of the first recognized players from Rutgers. Gifted with a twisting and elusive running style, Austin led the Scarlet Knights in rushing three straight seasons. Despite being undersized at 5'11 and 170 lbs, he rushed for 2,073 yards while ranking up 204 points in his career with Rutgers. His 32-touchdown career ranks second in the Rutgers annals among all-time scorers and he also had a total of 13 interceptions from his defensive back position, which is one short of all-time mark.

Austin was inducted into the Rutgers Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and was recognized as an AP All-American in 1958. That year, Austin led the team to an 8–1 record, though the team could've gone 9-0 if Austin did not sit out the Quantico Marines game with an apparent hand injury. Austin was also considered a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, though the award was won by Pete Dawkins of Army that year. Austin went on to play for the Washington Redskins after being drafted in 1959.

1960s

Retired numbers

Notes

Scarlet Knights in the NFL

The Scarlet Knights have had 3 players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. In 2010, Anthony Davis was selected 11th overall by the San Francisco 49ers, Devin McCourty was chosen No. 27 overall by the New England Patriots and in 2009, Kenny Britt was chosen No. 30 overall by the Tennessee Titans. An Associated Press All-America selection, Britt became the first player in Rutgers history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. 2010 also marked the fourth consecutive year that a Scarlet Knights player been taken on the draft's first day after Brian Leonard (2007) and Ray Rice (2008) were both second-round draft selections. In the 2024 NFL draft the Arizona Cardinals drafted Max Melton, he was selected No. 43 overall in the second-round, Isiah Pacheco was drafted No. 251 overall in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chicago Bears selected Kyle Monangai No. 233 overall in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft, further bolstering Rutgers presence in the NFL.

Current NFL players who played for Rutgers

As of September 1, 2026, there are a total of 14 Scarlet Knights listed on NFL team rosters.

Local media coverage

Rutgers has a contract with SportsNet New York to air various football-related programming during the season. Previous to its Big Ten membership (where its media rights are mainly a part of the Big Ten Network), this included games produced by ESPN Plus.

Football games air on the Rutgers Football Radio Network, the flagship of which as of 2022 is WFAN-AM/FM in New York.

As of 2023, the Rutgers football broadcast team is led by Chris Carlin as play-by-play. Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel is the analyst for games played at home, while the team's road games feature former defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick as analyst. Anthony Fucilli serves as the sideline reporter for all games, with Marc Malusis hosting all studio segments with Eric LeGrand as his co-host analyst.

Inside Rutgers Football is the coach's show of Rutgers University's football team. The show, which debuted at the start of the 2001 season, is hosted by WNBC's Bruce Beck and features the Scarlet Knights' head football coach.

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of August 21, 2026.