Patriot League Release

Bronx, N.Y. – The 2026 Fordham University football schedule was officially released today and it includes a game against an FBS opponent along with nine Patriot League games, with the addition of Villanova and William & Mary this year, and six home games at Joe Moglia Stadium.
 
Head coach Joe Conlin's Rams open the 2026 season with a Patriot League game as the Rams welcome Colgate University to Moglia Stadium on Saturday, August 29, the earliest Patriot League game for the Rams since joining the League in 1990.
 
The following week Fordham takes to the road, traveling to New Britain, Conn., to take on the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils on September 5.
 
The Rams will then take a trip south, venturing down to Conway, South Carolina, to face the FBS Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers from the Sun Belt Conference on Saturday, September 12. It will be the 15th time over the past 16 years that Fordham will face an NCAA FCS school (a 2020 game at Hawaii was canceled due to COVID), with the Rams winning three of the games, a 30-29 triumph at Temple in 2013, a 37-35 victory at Army West Point in 2015, and a 40-37 victory in 2023 at Buffalo.
 
The next week, Fordham takes another trip south, this one to Williamsburg, Virginia, to take on one of the newest Patriot League members, the College of William & Mary Tribe on Saturday, September 19. 
 
The Rams return to Moglia Stadium on Saturday, September 26, for 2026 Homecoming as the Stony Brook University Seawolves pay a visit to the Bronx.
 
Fordham returns to Patriot League play on October 3 with a trip to Lehigh University, the defending Patriot League champs, before hosting three straight League contests, starting with a visit from the University of Richmond Spiders on October 10, followed by a game with the other new Patriot League program, the Villanova University Wildcats on October 17. The homestand wraps up on October 24 as Fordham welcomes the Lafayette College Leopards for Family Weekend.
 
After an open week on Halloween, the Rams venture to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to face the Bucknell University Bison on November 7. The Rams then close out the regular season with a pair of matchups with fellow Jesuit intuitions, starting with a visit from the Georgetown University Hoyas on November 14 before traveling up to Worcester, Massachusetts, to face off with the Holy Cross Crusaders in the annual Ram-Crusader Cup game on November 21.
 
 August 29 – Colgate University* (Joe Moglia Stadium)

• 38th meeting between Fordham and Colgate on the gridiron.
• Colgate has taken four of the past six meetings, including a win in Hamilton last year.
• The Rams have won four of the past six meetings with Colgate at Moglia Stadium.
• It will be the earliest Patriot League opener for the Rams and the earliest home game for Fordham (Fordham hosted Rhode Island on August 29 in 2013).
• It will be the second earliest opener in Fordham history (the Rams opened the 2023 season at Albany on August 26).
• The Raiders were 5-7 overall, 3-4 in the Patriot League, last year.

​September 5 – at Central Connecticut State University (Arute Field, New Britain, Conn.)

• This will be the fifth meeting between Fordham and Central Connecticut.
• The Rams are 1-1 in New Britain, winning the first meeting, 38-31, in 2017 and dropping the second in 2024.
• Fordham is 15-15 versus current members of the Northeast Conference.
• It is the sixth straight year the Rams will battle an NEC opponent.
• Central Connecticut was 8-5 overall last season, 6-1 in the NEC, winning the conference title.

  
September 12 – at Coastal Carolina University (Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.)

• First meeting between Fordham and Coastal Carolina on the grid­iron.
• It will be the first Fordham football game in the Palmetto State.
• The Rams have played two teams from South Carolina in past, a game with the Gamecocks at the Polo Grounds in 1938 and a meeting with Clemson at Triboro Stadium in 1952.
• Coastal Carolina is a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
• Fordham Athletic Hall of Famer Joe Moglia, and Moglia Stadium namesake, served as head coach at Coastal Carolina from 2012-16 and 2018.
• The Chanticleers were 6-7 overall last year, 5-3 in the Sun Belt.
• A Chanticleer is a proud and fierce rooster. The Chanticleer is derived from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, specifically The Nun's Priest Tale.
• Coastal Carolina played in the 2025 Independence Bowl, falling to Louisiana Tech, 23-14.

 
​September 19 – at College of William & Mary* (Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field, Williamsburg, Va.)

• First meeting between Fordham and William & Mary on the grid­iron.
• The Tribe are in their first year as a member of the Patriot League after competing in the Yankee Conference (1993-96), the Atlantic 10 Conference (1997-2006), and most recently, the CAA (2007-2025).
• William & Mary posted one of the best seasons in school history during the 2022 campaign and ranked No. 8 in the final national polls. In addition to winning the CAA title, the squad equaled a school record with 11 victories and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
• Marv Levy coached William & Mary for five years (1964–1968), earning two Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards and one SoCon title (1966); a 27–16 win over Navy in 1967 is considered by the NCAA to be one of the top 10 greatest upsets in college football history.
• Lou Holtz coached William & Mary from 1969–1971 and led the team to the 1970 Tangerine Bowl.
• The Tribe finished the 2025 season with a 7-5 overall record, 6-2 in the CAA.

  
September 26 – Stony Brook University (Joe Moglia Stadium - Homecoming)

• 2026 Homecoming game.
• This will be the tenth meeting between Fordham and Stony Brook.

• Stony Brook leads the all-time series, 5-4, thanks to a win at Stony Brook last fall.
• The Rams have taken three of the past five meetings.
• It will be the eighth meeting on the NCAA FCS level as the first two meetings occurred on the NCAA Division III level.
• The Rams and Seawolves have met each year since 2018 with exception of the 2021 COVID spring season.
• Seawolves were 6-6 overall, 4-4 in the CAA, in 2025.

 
​​October 3 – at Lehigh University* (Goodman Stadium, Bethlehem, Pa.)

• 37th meeting between Fordham and Lehigh on the gridiron.
• The Rams have taken eight of the past 12 meetings.
• Lehigh took last year's meeting at Fordham.
• The Mountain Hawks were 12-1 overall, 6-0 in the Patriot League, last season, winning the Patriot League title for the second straight year.
• Lehigh fell to Villanova, 14-7, in the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs last year.
• The Mountain Hawks were ranked in the Top 10 for most of the 2025 season.

  
​October 10 – University of Richmond* (Joe Moglia Stadium)

• Fifth meeting between Fordham and Richmond on the grid­iron.
• Richmond leads the all-time series is tied, 2-1-1, after winning last year's matchup in Richmond
• Richmond is in its second year as a member of the Patriot League for football.
• Similar to Fordham, Richmond is a member of the Atlantic 10 for all sports besides football.
• The Spiders played in the CAA from 2007 until 2024.
• Richmond was 7-5 overall last fall, 3-4 in the Patriot League.
• Former Fordham head coach Dave Clawson served as head coach of the Spiders from 2004-07.

 
October 17 – Villanova University* (Joe Moglia Stadium)

• 31st meeting between Fordham and Villanova on the gridiron, the first since 2015.
• The Wildcats are in their first year in the Patriot League.
• Similar to William & Mary, Villanova played in the Yankee Conference from 1988-96, the Atlantic 10 from 1997-2006, and the CAA from 2007-2025.
• The Wildcats won the 2009 NCAA FCS Championship.
• Villanova took the last meeting, 14-7, on September 12, 2015 at Moglia Stadium.
• The two schools met for the first time in 1897.
• The Rams and Wildcats met in the second round of the 2002 NCAA FCS Playoffs.
• Fordham's 27-24 win over then eighth-ranked Villanova in 2013 was the Rams' first home win over a top ten team.
• The Wildcats went 12-3 overall, 7-1 in the CAA.
• Villanova defeated Harvard in the first round of the 2025 NCAA FCS Playoffs and then knocked off Lehigh, 14-7, in the second round before falling to Tarleton State, 26-21, in the quarterfinals.

  
October 24 – Lafayette College* (Joe Moglia Stadium – Family Weekend)

• 2025 Family Weekend game.
• 44th meeting between Fordham and Lafayette on the gridiron.
• The Leopards won last year's matchup, 24-10, in Easton.
• Rams have won four of the past five meetings with the Leopards at Moglia Stadium.
• Chase Edmonds set the Patriot League record with 359 rushing yards against the Leopards in 2017.
• The Leopards were 8-4 overall, 6-1 in the Patriot League, in 2025.
• Lafayette fell to Lehigh on the final game of the 2025 season in the defacto Patriot League championship game.

 
 
 ​November 7 – at Bucknell University* (Christy Mathewson Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.)

• 42nd meeting between Fordham and Bucknell on the gridiron.
• Fordham leads the all-time series, 21-20.
• Bucknell has won the past two matchups, including a win at Moglia Stadium last fall
• Prior to the Bison's two-game streak, Fordham had taken eleven straight meetings.
• The Rams have won five last the last six over the Bison in Lewisburg.
• The first four meetings between the Rams and Bison were played at the Polo Grounds with Fordham winning three of the four.
• The Bison were 5-7 overall, 2-5 in the Patriot League, last fall.

 
 ​November 14 – Georgetown University* (Joe Moglia Stadium)

• 72nd meeting between Fordham and Georgetown on the grid­iron.
• The Rams lead the all-time series, which started in 1889, 43-27-3.
• Fordham has taken ten of the past 13 meetings, including a 31-3 win at Moglia Stadium in 2024.
• Fordham is 18-5 against Georgetown since the Hoyas joined the Patriot League in 2001.
• The Rams are 20-7-1 against Georgetown at Moglia Stadium.
• The 67 varsity meetings with the Hoyas are the most against any opponent for the Rams.
• Georgetown was 6-6 in 2024, 3-4 in the Patriot League.

 
​November 21 – at Holy Cross* (Fitton Field, Worcester, Mass.)

• 64th meeting between Fordham and Holy Cross on the gridiron.
• Annual Ram-Crusader Cup contest.
• Fordham took last year's meeting, 26-21, on September 27 as quarterback Gunnar Smith led the Fordham offense, completing 14 of 21 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown while also running for a score, while linebacker James Conway led the defense, with a game-high 19 tackles.
• The Fordham win last year snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Crusaders over the Rams.
• The Rams are 13-12 against Holy Cross as the home team (7-6 at Moglia Stadium), 9-16-1 at Holy Cross, 2-2-1 at the Polo Grounds and 1-1 at Yankee Stadi­um.
• Holy Cross has won three of the last six Patriot League titles.
• The Crusaders went 3-9 overall, 3-4 in the Patriot League, in 2025.

​* - Patriot League game