Football Announces 2023 Schedule

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football team has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2023 season. The schedule features four non-conference matchups, including a trip to FBS foe Hawaii, and five home games at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. The Great Danes are the only team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) that will play a 12-game schedule. 

The Great Danes get to work early with a “Week Zero” home matchup against Fordham (Aug. 26). Week One’s game (Sept. 2) will be played on the road, with a non-conference opponent to be announced at a later date. The team then travels to Hawaii (Sept.) before hitting the bye week (Sept. 16) and returning against Morgan State on Sept. 23. 

CAA action kicks off on Sept. 30 with a home matchup against Villanova. UAlbany then hits the road again for games with Towson (Oct. 7) and New Hampshire (Oct. 14). Oct. 21 marks the third home game of the season, with Rhode Island coming to town. UAlbany then travels to Maine (Oct. 28) before welcoming William & Mary on Nov. 4. The season is rounded out with a road game against archrival Stony Brook (Nov. 11) before concluding on Nov. 18 against Monmouth at home. 

Season tickets for the 2023 season will be available for purchase in the near future. 

Week Zero – Aug. 26 – vs. Fordham 

The 2022 matchup between the Rams and the Great Danes was one of the most exciting of the year. Fordham was able to edge UAlbany, 48-45, in an all-out offensive performance. Quarterback Reese Poffenbarger threw for 412 yards, breaking the UAlbany single-game passing record in just his third start with the team. The Great Danes will look for redemption in “Week Zero” of college football as one of the first teams in the country to hit the gridiron. 

Week Two – Sept. 9 – at Hawaii

The longest trip recorded by any UAlbany football team, the Great Danes will head to the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex in Honolulu on Sept. 9. The Rainbow Warriors are coming off a season in which they went 3-10 overall and 2-6 in the Mountain West Conference. The last time the Great Danes defeated an FBS level school came on Sept. 2, 2016 – a 22-16 victory over Buffalo. 

Week Four – Sept. 23 – at Morgan State

UAlbany last faced Morgan State on Nov. 13, 2021. The Great Danes celebrated Senior Day by grabbing a 41-14 victory over the Bears. Running back Karl Mofor recorded three rushing touchdowns throughout the night to lead the team. This last season, Morgan State had an overall record of 4-7 and went 2-3 in MEAC play.

Week Five – Sept. 30 – vs. Villanova

UAlbany jumps into CAA conference action in week five with a home matchup against Villanova. In 2022, UAlbany was able to grab the lead from the Wildcats with just under a minute remaining following a huge second half comeback. The comeback fell short though, as Villanova was able to convert a 28-yard field goal attempt as time expired. The Great Danes will look to collect their first win over the Wildcats since 2017. 

Week Six – Oct. 7 – at Towson

UAlbany’ matchup with Towson will be the third-straight game played between the two teams in Maryland. In that span, the two conference foes have split the series, 1-1, with UAlbany claiming a 38-21 victory in 2019 and Towson collecting a 38-24 victory in 2021. Towson finished 2022 with an overall record of 6-5 with a 4-4 conference mark. The Tigers enter 2023 with a new Head Coach in Pete Shinnick.

Week Seven – Oct. 14 – at New Hampshire

New Hampshire finished its 2022 season as the No. 13 team in the nation. The team made its return to the postseason, defeating Fordham before falling to Holy Cross in the second round of the NCAA FCS Division I tournament. Head Coach Rick Santos was named the CAA’s Coach of the Year for his team’s performance. UAlbany faced UNH in week two of 2022, falling by a score of 28-23. 

Week Eight – Oct. 21 – vs. Rhode Island

Week eight will mark the third home game of the year for UAlbany as the team welcomes Rhode Island to Casey Stadium. Rhody finished 2022 with an overall record of 7-4 and a conference mark of 5-3. The two foes met on the final week of the regular season, with the Rams taking a 35-21 decision over the Great Danes to close out the year. 

Week Nine –Oct. 28 – at Maine

The 2022 matchup between UAlbany and Maine was one of the most exciting of the season. With 00:00 on the clock, UAlbany’s Poffenbarger found receiver Julian Hicks in the end zone for a walk off victory, 23-21. The Great Danes were able to march down the field for the score with only 1:50 on the clock to start the drive.  The win was made even more special by the fact it came on UAlbany’s Senior Day. Maine finished the 2022 campaign with an overall record of 2-9, going 2-6 in the CAA.

Week Ten – Nov. 4 – vs. William & Mary

The Tribe haven’t visited UAlbany since the 2019 season, a game in which the Great Danes won by a score of 39-31. William & Mary had a very strong 2022 campaign, collecting the CAA title with a conference record of 7-1 (11-2 overall). The Tribe advanced all the way to the NCAA Quarterfinals before falling to No. 4 Montana State, 55-7. William & Mary ended the year as the top CAA team in the national polls, coming in at No. 8. 

Week Eleven – Nov. 11 – at Stony Brook

The battle for the Golden Apple returns in week eleven when the Great Danes travel to face in-state rival Stony Brook. The 2022 matchup between the two foes skewed heavily in favor of the Great Danes, who walked away with the rivalry trophy after a 59-14 bombardment over the Sea Wolves. In that game, the offense scored six touchdowns and a field goal while the defense forced four interceptions – taking one all the way back to the house.

Week Twelve – Nov. 18 – vs. Monmouth

The final game of the season will mark the second time the Hawks and Great Danes face off as conference rivals, and the first time Monmouth visits Casey Stadium as such. UAlbany boasts a 5-2 record over Monmouth, winning five-straight from 2009 to 2017. Monmouth has gotten the upper hand in the last two matchups however, most recently taking the victory last season by a score of 38-31. In Monmouth’s first season as a member of the CAA, the Hawks went 5-6 overall with a 3-5 conference mark. 

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