March 6, 2009

Bronx, N.Y. - Printable 2009 Schedule

A schedule that features six home games on Jack Coffey Field, including the annual battle for the Liberty Cup with Columbia, highlights the eleven-game 2009 Fordham University football schedule released today.

Head coach Tom Masella will open his fourth season at Rose Hill as the Rams travel to Kingston, R.I., to face the University of Rhode Island Rams, out of the Colonial Athletic Association, on Saturday, September 5th. It will be the ninth meeting between the two schools, with Fordham leading the all-time series, 5-3, thanks to last year's 16-0 shutout win on Jack Coffey Field, Fordham's second straight win against Rhode Island.

After a bye week, the Rams open their home schedule as they host Columbia University in the annual battle for the Liberty Cup on September 19th. The two schools have fought for the cup for the past seven years, with Fordham holding a 4-3 advantage in Liberty Cup games, thanks to last year's 29-22 win at Columbia. As two of only three NCAA Division I institutions in New York City to sponsor football, Fordham and Columbia decided to compete for a special trophy in 2002 with the focus to honor alumni from both schools who were lost in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Rams then hit the road to open their Patriot League slate as Fordham travels upstate to Hamilton, N.Y., to face Colgate University, the defending Patriot League champions, on September 26th. Last year, Fordham fell to the Raiders at home as Colgate scored with seconds left to break a 24-24 tie.

Fordham returns to Jack Coffey Field the following week to take on the newest NCAA FCS school, Old Dominion University, for the Homecoming game on October 3rd.

The following weekend marks another opponent the Rams have never faced before as Bryant University pays a visit to Jack Coffey Field on October 10th. The Bulldogs are entering their second season of NCAA FCS play and will join the Northeast Conference in 2012.

The Rams then return to the road for their final non-conference game, venturing up to Ithaca, N.Y., to take on Cornell University out of the Ivy League on October 17th. It will be the seventh meeting between the Rams and the Big Red, the first since 1999.

Fordham picks up its Patriot League schedule the following Saturday as the Rams travel to Easton, Pa., to take on the Lafayette College Leopards on October 24th.

The Rams then return to Jack Coffey Field for three straight Patriot League home contests, starting with their annual battle for the Ram-Crusader Cup with fellow Jesuit institution, the College of the Holy Cross on October 31st. Fordham has retained the trophy for six of the past eight years but the Crusaders were able to wrestle the cup away from the Rams last year in Worcester.

The home stand continues on November 4th as the Rams welcome Bucknell University to Rose Hill for Family Weekend. Fordham will be looking for revenge of last year's 24-21 season-ending overtime loss in Lewisburg.

Fordham closes out the home stand by hosting Lehigh University on November 11th before closing out the season by traveling to the nation's capital to face Jesuit rival Georgetown University on November 18th. The Rams and the Hoyas will battle for the 52nd time on the varsity level, the most games played against any opponent for the Rams. Fordham has won the past three meetings and leads the all-time series, 29-19-3.

Ticket information for the 2009 season is available through the Fordham Athletic Ticket Office by calling 718-817-4300.