Field Hockey Announces 2026 Schedule
Jun 03 | Field Hockey
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers field hockey unveiled the schedule for the 2026 campaign. The Scarlet Knights are set to begin an 18-game slate in late August.
The Scarlet Knights have won 60 games over the past five seasons. The Scarlet Knights boast 18 ranked wins in the past six seasons and 42 ranked wins since 2018, which includes 16 top-10 wins since 2021. Coming off of nine wins in 2025, four of them against Big Ten foes, RU returns 16 student-athletes from last season's roster and welcomes nine newcomers.
Rutgers will play six teams in the regular season that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season in Northwestern, Iowa, Princeton, Syracuse, Virginia and UConn, including both participants in last season's national championship matchup. Nine games are scheduled against teams to be ranked in the final coaches poll of last season.
The non-conference portion of the schedule includes six return matches from last season, including five teams that were ranked in last year's meeting (Syracuse, Virginia, UConn, Princeton and Monmouth). The annual Big Ten slate will feature four road and four home contests.
The Scarlet Knights start preparations for the campaign with a pair of scrimmages. RU will travel to Philadelphia for an opening exhibition against Drexel, an NCAA team last season, on August 15 before the final preseason tuneup on August 22 hosting Villanova.
Rutgers begins the regular season on August 28, playing at Monmouth. The Scarlet Knights play their first five games on the road and eight of the first nine away from home.
The opening five-game road swing sees RU follow the opener with a game at Wagner, spending the first weekend of September in Syracuse facing ACC foes Syracuse and Virginia, and a trip to in-state rival Princeton (Sept. 11).
On Sunday, September 13, Rutgers hosts UConn in the first home game of the season. Rutgers then heads to upstate New York the following weekend for a pair of contests at Albany and Colgate.
The Big Ten Conference opener comes on a Friday night in College Park, as the Scarlet Knights battle Maryland at 6 pm in the first league game.
Rutgers returns home for a three-game homestand, starting with La Salle that Sunday. To open Big Ten play, Penn State visits Bauer on October 2, with RU also hosting American that weekend in the final non-conference game of the season.
Rutgers then has a solo Big Ten weekend, travelling to Ohio State for a game on October 9. The following weekend, Michigan (Oct. 16) and Michigan State (Oct. 18) come to town.
The final road trip of the regular season sees RU head to Iowa and Northwestern on October 23-25. Finally, Indiana comes to Piscataway for the final regular season game on October 30.
The Big Ten Tournament will be in Columbus, Ohio this year. Ohio State will host the event on November 5-8. The NCAA Tournament starts on November 13, with higher seeds hosting the first two rounds at campus sites, and then the Final Four hosted by Louisville starting on November 20.
2026 Rutgers Field Hockey Schedule
Bold Indicates Home Games
*Indicates Big Ten Conference Game
The Scarlet Knights have won 60 games over the past five seasons. The Scarlet Knights boast 18 ranked wins in the past six seasons and 42 ranked wins since 2018, which includes 16 top-10 wins since 2021. Coming off of nine wins in 2025, four of them against Big Ten foes, RU returns 16 student-athletes from last season's roster and welcomes nine newcomers.
Rutgers will play six teams in the regular season that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season in Northwestern, Iowa, Princeton, Syracuse, Virginia and UConn, including both participants in last season's national championship matchup. Nine games are scheduled against teams to be ranked in the final coaches poll of last season.
The non-conference portion of the schedule includes six return matches from last season, including five teams that were ranked in last year's meeting (Syracuse, Virginia, UConn, Princeton and Monmouth). The annual Big Ten slate will feature four road and four home contests.
The Scarlet Knights start preparations for the campaign with a pair of scrimmages. RU will travel to Philadelphia for an opening exhibition against Drexel, an NCAA team last season, on August 15 before the final preseason tuneup on August 22 hosting Villanova.
Rutgers begins the regular season on August 28, playing at Monmouth. The Scarlet Knights play their first five games on the road and eight of the first nine away from home.
The opening five-game road swing sees RU follow the opener with a game at Wagner, spending the first weekend of September in Syracuse facing ACC foes Syracuse and Virginia, and a trip to in-state rival Princeton (Sept. 11).
On Sunday, September 13, Rutgers hosts UConn in the first home game of the season. Rutgers then heads to upstate New York the following weekend for a pair of contests at Albany and Colgate.
The Big Ten Conference opener comes on a Friday night in College Park, as the Scarlet Knights battle Maryland at 6 pm in the first league game.
Rutgers returns home for a three-game homestand, starting with La Salle that Sunday. To open Big Ten play, Penn State visits Bauer on October 2, with RU also hosting American that weekend in the final non-conference game of the season.
Rutgers then has a solo Big Ten weekend, travelling to Ohio State for a game on October 9. The following weekend, Michigan (Oct. 16) and Michigan State (Oct. 18) come to town.
The final road trip of the regular season sees RU head to Iowa and Northwestern on October 23-25. Finally, Indiana comes to Piscataway for the final regular season game on October 30.
The Big Ten Tournament will be in Columbus, Ohio this year. Ohio State will host the event on November 5-8. The NCAA Tournament starts on November 13, with higher seeds hosting the first two rounds at campus sites, and then the Final Four hosted by Louisville starting on November 20.
2026 Rutgers Field Hockey Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Saturday, August 15 | at Drexel (Exhibition) | 1 pm |
| Saturday, August 22 | Villanova (Exhibition) | 1 pm |
| Friday, August 28 | at Monmouth | 1 pm |
| Sunday, August 30 | at Wagner | 1 pm |
| Friday, September 4 | at Syracuse | 2 pm |
| Sunday, September 6 | vs. Virginia (Neutral Site - Syracuse, N.Y.) | 11 am |
| Friday, September 11 | at Princeton | 5 pm |
| Sunday, September 13 | UConn | 12 pm |
| Friday, September 18 | at Albany | 1 pm |
| Sunday, September 20 | at Colgate | 12 pm |
| Friday, September 25 | at Maryland* | 6 pm |
| Sunday, September 27 | La Salle | 12 pm |
| Friday, October 2 | Penn State* | 3 pm |
| Sunday, October 4 | American | 12 pm |
| Friday, October 9 | Ohio State* | 1 pm |
| Friday, October 16 | Michigan* | 3 pm |
| Sunday, October 18 | Michigan State* | 12 pm |
| Friday, October 23 | at Iowa* | 3 pm |
| Sunday, October 25 | at Northwestern* | 12 pm |
| Friday, October 30 | Indiana* | 12 pm |
| November 5-8 | Big Ten Tournament (Columbus, Ohio) | TBD |
| November 13-15 | NCAA Tournament (Campus Sites) | TBD |
| November 20-22 | NCAA Final Four (Louisville, Ky.) | TBD |
Bold Indicates Home Games
*Indicates Big Ten Conference Game
Saturday, November 01
Friday, October 10
Monday, October 06
Friday, October 03
