Bronx, N.Y. – (May 23, 2024) – The three-time defending MAWPC champion Fordham Rams have released their 2024 schedule for the upcoming water polo season. The schedule has set up as one of the most challenging runs to date for the Rams, featuring 12 contests against opponents that received votes in the final poll of 2023, including fellow NCAA Championship participants, Princeton and San Jose State.
Fordham opens the season at Brown University on September 7
th, who finished #20 in the 2023 national poll, followed by a neutral site match against Cal Baptist, who was #16 in last year's final poll. The opening weekend then wraps up on September 8
th with a match against MIT and an exhibition game at Harvard.
Week two will be a split weekend for the Rams, facing two top 15 programs. First, Fordham heads to the Princeton Invitational on September 14
th to meet UC San Diego, who was 14
th last season. The Rams then head home on September 15
th to host Harvard at the Messmore Aquatic Center. Harvard and Fordham finished last season tied for 12
th in the national poll.
After their home opener, the Rams have their annual trip to the Bison Invitational, September 21-22, playing three league matches against Bucknell, Johns Hopkins, and Mt. St. Mary's, while having a non-league match with Augustana.
Starting on September 27
th, Fordham will have six straight home contests beginning with NCAA semifinalist Princeton coming to the Messmore Aquatic Center. This will be the Tigers' first visit to Fordham since 2019. The homestand continues with matches against Navy (Sept. 28), George Washington (Sept. 28), Wagner (Oct. 12), Iona (Oct. 12), and an exhibition with NYAC (Oct. 18).
The Rams then have their longest road trip of the season to the west coast from October 22-27. The trip begins with road games at UC Santa Barbara on October 22
nd and San Jose State on October 24
th. The Gauchos and Spartans ended last season tied for #7 in the country with San Jose State earning a berth in the NCAA Championship. For UC Santa Barbara, it will be the first ever meeting for the Rams and Gauchos. The trip continues with a ranked match-up with the University of the Pacific on October 25th at Santa Clara and a game versus UC Merced on October 26
th at San Jose State. The west coast swing ends with an October 27
th match with Air Force at Santa Clara, marking the first Fordham-Air Force match since 2010.
The Rams then return to league play in November with road games at George Washington (Nov. 2), Navy (Nov. 2), Johns Hopkins (Nov. 3), and Wagner (Nov. 8). Fordham then has their final two home games on November 9
th against Bucknell and Mt. St. Mary's to conclude MAWPC play.
The regular season for Fordham concludes on the road with matches at Connecticut College (Nov. 15) and Brown (Nov. 16) before heading to the 2024 MAWPC Championship, which will be held November 22-24 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, as the Rams will look for their fourth consecutive championship and another NCAA Championship berth.
The NCAA Championship is set for December 6-8 at UC San Diego in La Jolla, California.
