Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights represent Rutgers University, competing in the Big Ten Conference from SHI Stadium in Piscataway—the birthplace of college football. The Scarlet Knights embody the spirit of the sport's origin, having played in the first college football game against Princeton in 1869. Rutgers has worked to establish itself in the Big Ten after joining in 2014, with a fanbase drawn from the New York-New Jersey metro area. The program emphasizes toughness and development, competing in the Big Ten East. Scarlet Knight fans celebrate their program's unique place in football history while supporting the quest for competitiveness in one of America's toughest conferences.

Rutgers football began in 1869, when the Scarlet Knights defeated Princeton 6-4 in the first college football game ever played. The program spent much of its history in regional conferences before joining the Big East and later the Big Ten. Greg Schiano built Rutgers into a consistent winner in the 2000s before leaving for the NFL and later returning. Ray Rice, Kenny Britt, and other NFL stars honed their skills in Piscataway. The rivalry with Princeton is the oldest in college football, though it has been played intermittently. Rutgers' identity as the birthplace of the sport gives the program a unique historical significance unmatched by any other.