Football Announces 2022 Schedule

Football Announces 2022 Schedule

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany football team has announced its full schedule for the upcoming 2022 season. The schedule features three non-conference matchups, including a season opener at FBS powerhouse Baylor, two games against new Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) members Monmouth and Hampton, a week five bye, and a total of five home games at Casey Stadium. UAlbany’s schedule is also unique in the sense that the team alternates home and road games every week, never playing two games in a row away or at Casey Stadium.

We’re happy with the schedule. I think we have a challenging opener, but we have a chance to jump into conference play the next week at home which is important after a tough game like Baylor. Home and away [alternating schedule] all the way through, I think it’s one of the few times in my life I’ve had a schedule like that, so it will be interesting. But all in all, I think it’s a good schedule, we are excited about it.

Coach Greg Gattuso on the 2022 Season Schedule

Sept. 3, Week One – at Baylor

In 2021, the Bears finished the season as the No. 5 team in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and the No. 6 team in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, both being the best of any Big 12 team. Should Baylor keep its ranking, the game will mark the first time in program history the Great Danes will have played a ranked FBS squad.

Sept. 10, Week Two – UNH

The Great Danes will host the Wildcats for the second year in a row, having welcomed UNH to Casey Stadium on Nov. 6 last season. In that game, the squad picked up its first win of the season in a 20-7 victory. UAlbany has won the previous three matchups with UNH spanning back to 2019.

Home openers are always well attended, and we have a great fan base who shows up. We need them there for that game. Every single game, as we’ve learned in this conference, is one-score oriented. We need to play a good football game against a team with a new coach and former great player in Rick Santos. He’s going to bring a new energy to that program, and it will be a big, big game for us to get into conference play with a good start.

Coach Greg Gattuso on UAlbany’s Home Opener

Sept. 17, Week Three – at Fordham

This will be the first ever meeting between the Great Danes and the Rams. Fordham played two CAA schools last season in Stony Brook (a 31-14 win) and new conference foe Monmouth (a 23-24 loss). Overall, the Rams finished the 2021 campaign with an overall record of 6-5, having gone 4-2 in Patriot League play.

Sept. 24, Week Four – CCSU

The last time UAlbany faced CCSU was a memorable one, a 42-14 thrashing back in 2019 which resulted in the first ever FCS Playoff win for the Great Danes. The Blue Devils are coming off a tough year in 2021, having gone 4-7 overall and 4-3 in conference. The team scored 21.1 points per game while allowing opponents an average of 30.8.

It just continues to be a quality schedule. Baylor has national championship aspirations at the FBS level, they’re good. Fordham and CCSU have great programs. I talked to the team and we have to be at our best every single week, that includes in conference and out of conference. It’s about being the best we can be those individual weeks.

Coach Greg Gattuso on UAlbany’s Non-Conference Schedule

Oct. 8, Week Six – at Monmouth

Monmouth enters the team’s first year as a member of the CAA. The matchup in West Long Branch will be the second conference game of the season for the Great Danes, who have had a history of success against the Hawks with five wins. Monmouth broke that five-game win streak in the last meeting between the two teams with a close 38-35 victory in 2019. Last Season, the Hawks went 7-4 overall and 6-1 in the Big South.

Oct. 15, Week Seven – Hampton

UAlbany gets to face new CAA schools in back-to-back weeks, facing off against the Pirates at home the week after taking on Monmouth. Hampton went 5-6 last season and sported a 3-4 record in conference action. The team was 3-3 at home, but collected just a 1-3 mark on the road. The matchup in Albany will be Hampton’s second conference road game of the year with the team set to travel to Delaware on Sept. 24.

It’s exciting to have new teams joining the conference. We do have history with Monmouth, they are a great football program. Coach Callahan, I’ve coached against him for a long time, he does a great job at Monmouth, they’ve really grown their program. Hampton, I don’t know a ton about them, but I do know they’ve upgraded their program consistently over the last four years. I think it’s a tough move into the CAA, but I think both of these teams are ready for it.

Coach Greg Gattuso on New CAA Opponents Monmouth and Hampton

Oct. 22, Week Eight – at Villanova

The Great Danes and Wildcats had an extremely competitive game a year ago at Casey Stadium. Villanova, ranked No. 5 at the time, was the highest ranked opponent to ever make its way to UAlbany. The game was marred by heavy rain just before the end of the first quarter, bringing scoring to a screeching halt. The Great Danes were able to march to Villanova's six-yard line in the closing minutes of the game, but couldn't punch the ball in for a potential tying score. The UAlbany defense held the CAA's top ranked team scoreless the entire second half.

Oct. 29, Week Nine – Stony Brook

The fight for the Golden Apple continues on Oct. 29, with the Seawolves making a trip up north in the annual rivalry game. History wise, the two foes have gone back and forth with wins. UAlbany will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak to its biggest rival, with the Great Danes coming out on top the two years prior in 2018 and 2019. The Seawolves got off to a slow start a year ago, but finished the year with a 5-6 overall record and a 4-4 mark in CAA action.

Nov. 5, Week Ten – at Elon

The trip to Elon, North Carolina, will be the second longest trip of the year (Baylor) in terms of distance for the Great Danes. The two CAA foes don’t meet too often, with the last matchup coming from a 2017 matchup. In that game the Phoenix were able to hold the Great Danes scoreless, winning 6-0 down south. Elon went 6-5 last year with a 5-3 mark in conference play having twice beaten teams that were ranked (#22 Richmond and #25 URI).

Nov. 12, Week Eleven – Maine

Week eleven’s matchup against Maine will be the final regular season home game of the year for UAlbany. The Great Danes and Black Bears are no strangers, meeting every year in conference action. Maine has been a tough draw for UAlbany however, having not lost a matchup since 2014. The Black Bears have collected seven straight victories, including a 19-16 win at Casey Stadium last season.

Nov. 19, Week Twelve – at URI

The Great Danes close the 2022 regular season on the road at URI. The game will be the first time UAlbany visits Providence since 2018, with the last three matchups all being played at Casey Stadium. All three of those last games have been decided by just a single score, with UAlbany taking the victory in 2019 and URI taking the last two get togethers. Rhody was in the midst of a great season last year before dropping three-straight midyear, finishing with an overall mark of 7-4.

Keep up with all of the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany football by following the team on Twitter and Instagram and by using the hashtags #BeGreat and #WinTheDay.