Home Night Games Headline 2013 Schedule
Raiders Open at Air Force; Play Six Home, Six Away
(Hamilton, NY – March 2013) An opening trip to Air Force, resumption of the Cornell rivalry and a pair of home night games highlight Colgate’s 2013 football schedule.
The defending Patriot League champion Raiders are home for six of their 12 games, including 6 p.m. kickoffs against Albany in the Sept. 7 Andy Kerr Stadium opener and again Oct. 12 against Stony Brook. Other home dates are 1 p.m. starts against Yale on Sept. 21, Bucknell on Nov. 2, Lehigh on Nov. 16 and Fordham on Nov. 23.
“Night games in Hamilton, especially early in the season, really get the crowd involved and make for a great atmosphere,” Raiders head coach Dick Biddle said. “I’m glad we’re doing it and hope we continue to do it.”
Colgate begins its season Aug. 31 against Air Force in Colorado Springs. The Raiders and Falcons have never met on the football field, but Colgate does have a history against the two other major college service academies. The Raiders have played Army 29 times, most recently in 1997; and Navy six times, most recently in 1998.
A Sept. 14 trip to New Hampshire is sandwiched between the September home games against Albany and Yale.
Cornell Rivalry Returns
Then after the season’s lone bye week, Colgate resumes its long-standing rivalry against Cornell with an Oct. 5 visit to Ithaca. The Big Red have appeared on the Colgate football schedule 94 times, most of any Raiders opponent, with Cornell leading the series 48-43-3.
Last season was the first time the neighbors didn’t meet since 1998.
“Our out-of-conference schedule is probably as difficult as we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Biddle said. “We open the season with a major college program in Air Force, which is a great opportunity for our team and our school. We play three more scholarship teams followed by Cornell and Yale, two Ivy League schools that are great rivalries.
“Then we get into our league games and the first two happen to be on the road.”
After the Oct. 12 Stony Brook contest, Colgate’s Patriot League schedule begins with outings at Holy Cross and Georgetown before the Nov. 2 conference home opener against Bucknell. Colgate plays at Lafayette and then hosts Lehigh and Fordham to close the regular season.
“It’s a very challenging schedule – probably the most demanding since I’ve been here – and we’ve really got to step up and play,” Biddle said. “But our kids will enjoy it and that’s why you play the game, to face good competition. That’s how we challenge them.”
Colgate started 2012 with a 1-3 record before reeling off seven wins in a row, winning their seventh Patriot League championship and making the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Spring practice for the 2013 squad begins Tuesday.
Colgate 2013 Football Schedule
Aug. 31 at Air Force
Sept. 7 ALBANY, 6 p.m.
Sept. 14 at New Hampshire
Sept. 21 YALE, 1 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Cornell
Oct. 12 STONY BROOK, 6 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Holy Cross *
Oct. 26 at Georgetown *
Nov. 2 BUCKNELL *, 1 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Lafayette *
Nov. 16 LEHIGH *, 1 p.m.
Nov. 23 FORDHAM, 1 p.m.
* Patriot League games.