WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ- Monmouth University has released the 2020 football schedule which entails 11 regular season games including five home matchups.
 
The Hawks will face in-state opponent Rutgers for the first time to start off the 2020 schedule while facing a pair of Colonial Athletic Association opponents in UAlbany and Maine. The Hawks will begin to defend their Big South Title on October 17 at North Alabama and conclude the regular season against Kennesaw State on November 21.
 
Tickets are on sale now for the 2020 season on MonmouthHawks.com/tickets or by calling 732-263-5735
 
"We are excited by the challenges that our 2020 schedule presents," said Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan. "Opening the season with our first ever BIG 10 opponent will be especially challenging, and consecutive road contests against Albany and Maine will certainly test us early. The Big South portion of the schedule will be as difficult as ever as everyone returns several of their key players from 2019."
 
The Scarlet Knights will mark the first team from a power five conference that Monmouth has faced. Separated by just 40 miles the two schools compete in nearly every other sport but have never played each other on the gridiron. That will all change on September 5 when the Hawks head to SHI Stadium.
 
The Hawks continue their three-game road swing to start the season with trips to UAlbany and Maine. Monmouth and UAlbany have played twice in the last three seasons with the Hawks winning a thrilling 38-35 affair in West Long Branch in 2019. The Blue & White will make its first trip up to Alfond Stadium since 2007 to face the Black Bears. It will be the third overall meeting between the two squads and the first since Maine visited West Long Branch in 2008.   
 
Monmouth makes its home debut on September 19 when Fordham comes to town for the first game since 2016. The last time the Rams and Hawks faced each other Reggie White Jr. caught a two-point conversion to give Monmouth a 42-41 overtime victory at Kessler Stadium. The following week Wagner heads to West Long Branch for the 26^th edition of the two programs. Last season wideout Lonnie Moore sealed the win for the Hawks after scoring a touchdown on a fourth and goal with 23 seconds remaining.
 
Following an October 10 bye week the Hawks have their first trip to Florence to play North Alabama. It will be the second time for the two future conference opponents, the Lions are set to join the Big South as a full member in 2022, and the first time Monmouth has played a football game in the state of Alabama. Monmouth will then start up conference play with a home tilt against Campbell on October 24 before hosting Charleston Southern on Halloween.
 
November will see the Hawks head to Hampton for the second time in school history on November 7 and wrapping up their road schedule at Gardner-Webb a week later. The Hawks will wrap up the 2020 regular season by hosting Big South rival Kennesaw State on November 21. The Hawks and Owls have combined to win each of the last four Big South titles.
 
Monmouth loses just four starters from last year's second-round playoff team which went 11-3 and climbed to as high as 11^th in the country at the end of the regular season.
 
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Date	Opponent	Location	2019 Record (Finish)	Series History
September 5	Rutgers	Piscataway, NJ	2-10 (7th)	First Meeting
September 12	UAlbany	Albany, NY	9-5 (2nd)	UA 12-5
September 19	Maine	Orono, ME	6-6 (6th)	UM 2-0
September 26	Fordham	Kessler Stadium	4-8 (6th)	MU 2-1
October 3	Wagner	Kessler Stadium	1-11 (7th)	MU 15-10
October 17	North Alabama	Florence, AL	4-7	MU 1-0
October 24	Campbell	Kessler Stadium	6-5 (4th)	MU 2-0
October 31	Charleston Southern	Kessler Stadium	6-6 (3rd)	Tied 3-3
November 7	Hampton	Hampton, VA	5-7 (6th)	MU 3-0
November 14	Gardner-Webb	Boiling Springs, NC	3-9 (5th)	MU 5-1
November 21	Kennesaw State	Kessler Stadium	11-3 (2nd)	KSU 4-1