The 2022 season could’ve gone better for the University at Albany, which finished the year with a 3-8 overall record and 2-6 performance in Coastal Athletic Association play. 

The Great Danes finished tied with Maine for the second-to-last spot in the conference standings, ahead of only Hampton and Stony Brook, which shared the bottom rung. UAlbany’s two conference wins came against Maine and Stony Brook.

It was an improvement for UAlbany, however, as the Great Danes were 1-7 and last in the CAA in 2021.

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UAlbany Football Schedule 2023: What To Know

W&M Picked To Win CAA, Shirden Named Preseason Offensive POTY

Head coach Greg Gattuso will be back for his 10th season to see if he can again find the magic his team enjoyed as recently as 2019.

CAA football returns eight programs that finished with winning records in 2022. That includes William & Mary, which went 11-2 overall and tied with New Hampshire atop of the CAA standings with a 7-1 record. 

CAA football action will be streamed live on FloFootball and the FloSports app, including all of UAlbany’s CAA games.

Here’s What To Know About UAlbany Football:

What Year Did The University At Albany Start Playing Football?

Football existed as a club sport at UAlbany in the 1920s, but that only lasted a few years. The team returned in 1970 and became a varsity sport in 1973.

When Did UAlbany Join Division I College Football? 

The Great Danes got a late start in football compared to many of their fellow CAA competitors–80-plus years in some cases.

Until 1994, UAlbany played in NCAA Division III. From 1995-1998, it was Division II. The move to play with the big dogs came in 1999–Division I-AA, which now is Division I FCS.

How Many Times Has UAlbany Football Made It To The FCS Playoffs?

Despite their short history, the Great Danes have been to the FCS Playoffs two times (2011, 2019).

Their FCS postseason record is 1-2. The victory came over Central Connecticut in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, after which, the Great Danes were ousted by Montana State.

Previous postseason experience included a two-round effort in 1977. UAlbany was 1-1 and reached the Division III semifinals.

When Did UAlbany Football Join The CAA?

UAlbany and Stony Brook joined CAA Football for the 2013 season. 

The Great Danes were independent through 1996, then joined the Eastern Football Conference for the 1997 and 1998 seasons. They played in the Northeast Conference from 1999-2012.

Has UAlbany Football Ever Won The CAA title?

No. 

UAlbany has not had the most successful run in CAA play, going 22-54 in 10 seasons in the league. The only time the Great Danes have won more than four conference games was in 2019, when they also advanced to the second round of the playoffs. 

They were 6-2 in the CAA that season and finished second in the conference behind undefeated James Madison (8-0). 

Who Is The UAlbany Football Head Coach?

Greg Gattuso started his tenure with the Great Danes in time for the 2014 season. The team was coming off a 1-11 overall performance and 0-8 CAA record, and his efforts resulted in an immediate turnaround.

He’s now preparing for his 10th season at UAlbany, where he is 39-57 as the head coach.

In Gattuso’s debut season, UAlbany was 3-5 in CAA play and 7-5 overall. 

In 2019, he led the team to 9-5 record, which included the Great Danes’ first playoff win. He was named CAA Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given annually to the top coach in FCS football. 

Though delayed by the pandemic, his forward progress and success earned him a contract extension in 2021.

Gattuso was a defensive lineman at Penn State and helped the team to a national championship in 1982. 

When his playing days concluded, he spent a year with the team as a graduate assistant, then moved on to a pair of high school coaching jobs, including at his alma mater, Seton-LaSalle in Pennsylvania. 

He went on to coach at Duquesne for 12 seasons, winning nearly 100 games, before stints at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland.

Who Is UAlbany Football’s Biggest Rival? 

It’s Stony Brook. 

UAlbany and Stony Brook have met on the gridiron 23 times since kickstarting their rivalry in 1995, and UAlbany leads the series, 13-10. Since the two programs made the move to the Division I ranks in 1999, UAlbany is up 10-9.

With both teams being part of the CAA, the matchup has become part of their regular schedules. Because both schools are located in New York, the game originally was called the “Empire Clash.”

Taking that a step further in 2015, the “Golden Apple” trophy was introduced in 2015, and it goes to the winner each year. Since the trophy became the ultimate prize, they’ve split the series 4-4. UAlbany won the 2022 edition 59-14, after losing two in a row.

Albany has the longest win streak in the rivalry at six games (1996-2001).

The game traditionally is played during the last week of the regular season for Stony Brook and will be the second-to-last game for UAlbany in 2023.

Where Does The UAlbany Football Team Play?

The Great Danes play at Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. The $19 million complex opened in 2013 and is home to UAlbany football, soccer and lacrosse. 

The field was named in honor of coaching legend Bob Ford, who coached the football program from its inaugural season in 1973 until 2013, leading into the tenure of current head coach Greg Gattuso.

The venue seats 8,500 and originally was called Bob Ford Field. It was renamed in 2015 after the Caseys gifted the school $10 million.

Where Is The University At Albany Located?

UAlbany is located in the state’s capital city, Albany, New York.

The school originally was created (1844) to train teachers via a two-year program. In 1890, known as the Normal School, then the New York State Normal College at Albany, new standards were introduced, and a four-year program was introduced. 

In 1914, the school’s name was changed to the New York State College for Teachers. 

In 1959, as growth continued, the name SUNY College of Education at Albany was taken, and two years later, the school became a four-year liberal arts college known as the State University College at Albany. Finally, in 1986, the school earned the name University at Albany, SUNY.

Notable University At Albany Alums

Among the noteworthy UAlbany graduates are: 

• Harvey Milk (first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California)
• Edward Burns (actor)
• D.B. Woodside (actor)
• Steve Guttenberg (actor)
• John McHugh (former United States Secretary of the Army)
• Loni Harwood (professional poker player)
• Chuck Priore (Stony Brook football head coach)

UAlbany players to the NFL: The first Great Dane to be drafted to the NFL was Kurt Campbell in 2005. Two years later, Rashad Barksdale joined the ranks, and when he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, he became the first UAlbany player to make an NFL 53-player roster.

UAlbany Football Schedule 2023 

• Aug. 26: Fordham, 7 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Sept. 2: TBA
• Sept. 9: at University of Hawaii, TBA
• Sept. 23: at Morgan State University, TBA
• Sept. 30: Villanova, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 7: at Towson, 4 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 14: at New Hampshire, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 21: Rhode Island, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 28: at Maine, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 4: William & Mary, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 11: at Stony Brook, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 18: Monmouth, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports

How To Watch UAlbany Football in 2023?

All CAA football games will stream on FloFootball and the FloSports app this fall. Some non-conference games may not be available on FloSports.