"Big Ten Battle in the Bronx will take place at Yankee StadiumPISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics today announced it will host the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx," a football and wrestling doubleheader between the Scarlet Knights and Maryland, at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. The wrestling match, which will be the first in the history of the Stadium, will take place first, before head coach Chris Ash leads the football team into action later that day.
"Never before has a doubleheader such as this taken place at a venue so iconic," said Director of Athletics Patrick Hobbs. "We are thrilled to provide our fans this one-of-a-kind experience while enhancing the Big Ten brand in the world's media capital. This is certain to be a very special day. We are thankful to the New York Yankees, the Big Ten Conference and the University of Maryland for helping to make it possible."
Rutgers football is 2-1 in three games at the current Yankee Stadium, including two appearances in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Overall, RU has played 12 games at Yankee Stadium dating back to 1926 and 50 contests in venues that also serve as homes to Major League Baseball clubs. Maryland leads the all-time series dating back to 1920 on the gridiron, 6-5, but Rutgers has won two of the last three meetings. The teams have split a pair of Big Ten match-ups.
"We are excited to be a part of this event, bringing together college football and wrestling at one of the most iconic venues in sports," said Rutgers head football coach Chris Ash. "The Scarlet Knight fan base is passionate about both its football and wrestling programs and the opportunity to play at Yankee Stadium offers a unique platform."
Rutgers wrestling completed the best season in program history in 2015-16, placing two wrestlers on the All-America podium for a record 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Scarlet Knights return nine NCAA qualifiers and host Princeton in "Battle at the Birthplace," presented by Autoland, this Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium. The match-up will precede the football team's primetime showdown against Penn State that evening. The Scarlet Knights own a 7-5-1 series advantage against Maryland on the mat.
"It is an incredible opportunity for our program to be compete inside Yankee Stadium," said Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale. "We are absolutely honored to wrestle inside one of the greatest cathedrals in all of sport. I don't think we ever envisioned this when we started here 10 years ago. This is significant not only for the Rutgers and Maryland programs, but for the sport of wrestling. We sincerely thank Pat Hobbs, the University of Maryland and the New York Yankees for making this wrestling milestone a reality."
Ticket information for the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx" is still to be announced. Season ticket holders will receive priority consideration for the exclusive event, which will be included in season ticket packages.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Twitter and Instagram (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding football, follow @RFootball and @RUWrestling for wrestling.
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