Rutgers is keeping a familiar pattern alive on the 2031 schedule, and the latest piece fits right into the Scarlet Knights’ long-running habit of lining up MAC opponents in non-conference play.
Akron will come to Piscataway on Sept. 13, 2031, according to a game contract obtained by FB Schedules, which first reported the matchup. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the game to NJ.com. Rutgers will pay the Zips a $1.5 million guarantee for the contest.
That game gives Rutgers a second non-conference opponent for 2031, joining Temple, which is set to visit the week before on Sept. 6.
The Akron trip to Rutgers will be the third time the Scarlet Knights have hosted the Zips in Piscataway over an eight-season span. Rutgers beat Akron 49-17 in 2024, and the teams are also scheduled to meet again in the opening game of the 2027 season.
The addition also keeps Rutgers’ streak going: the Scarlet Knights will now have hosted at least one MAC team in eight straight seasons, a run that started with Akron in 2024.
Rutgers will open the 2026 season against UMass, which joined the MAC last year, next month.
The program’s future non-conference slate currently includes:
2027: Akron on Sept. 4, Boston College on Sept.
11, Long Island on Sept. 18
2028: Norfolk State on Sept. 2, UConn on Sept.
9, Kent State on Sept. 16
2029: UConn on Sept. 8, Central Michigan on Sept. 15, one open non-conference slot
2030: at Temple on Sept. 7, Kent State on Sept. 16, one open non-conference slot
2031: Temple on Sept. 6, Akron on Sept. 13, one open non-conference slot
2032: at Temple on Sept. 11, two open non-conference slots
2033: Temple on Sept. 10, two open non-conference slots
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Rutgers Keeps Following A Familiar Scheduling Trend Into The Future
Rutgers has added another familiar nonconference date to its future calendar, lining up Akron for Sept. 13, 2031. The matchup, first reported by FBSchedules.com and confirmed by NJ.com, fits the way Rutgers has been building out its schedule in recent years, with the Scarlet Knights continuing to lean on Mid-American Conference opponents as part of their out-of-conference plan.
That pattern is already well established, and it reaches well beyond Akron. Rutgers has several future games lined up against MAC teams through 2031, a steady stream of opponents that gives the program a consistent scheduling lane as it looks ahead. For a team trying to manage long-term planning, it is another sign that Rutgers is sticking with a formula it knows well. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Faces A Rivalry Debate Fans Still Havent Settled
Rutgers place in the Big Ten still comes with one lingering question that other league members rarely have to ask: who, exactly, is the real rival? A look at the Scarlet Knights 2026 schedule brings the issue back into focus, since the usual suspects all seem plausible on paper but none carries the kind of built-in edge that turns a conference matchup into an annual event fans circle immediately.
Maryland, Indiana, Michigan State and Penn State all come up in the conversation, and each has at least some reason to be considered. Still, the debate is part of the point, because Rutgers supporters are left weighing history, geography and recent familiarity without finding a game that clearly rises above the rest. The answer may depend on who you ask, which makes the question itself the most interesting thing left on the board. [Read more 🡒]