Rutgers football announces homecoming game opponent and date

UCLA football is the homecoming opponent for Rutgers football.

Rutgers football has locked in their annual homecoming game, and it will be against a team that they’ve never played against in the Big Ten.

The annual homecoming game for Rutgers football will be on Oct. 19 against UCLA. This fall, the Big Ten is adding four teams from the Pac-12 in UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon.

UCLA is coming off a season where they went 8-5 (4-5 in the Pac-12) and took home the LA Bowl with a win over Boise State. They went through an offseason of transition with head coach Chip Kelly, who left to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

First-year head coach DeShaun Foster, a former standout running back at UCLA who spent seven years in the NFL, will lead the Bruins this season. Foster has spent the last seven years on the UCLA staff as their running backs coach.

Rutgers finished last year 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) and won the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Miami. It was the first time since 2014 that Rutgers was outright bowl-eligible.

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Rutgers has seven home games in 2024. Games in bold are against Big Ten opponents:

  • Aug. 31 vs. Howard (season opener)
  • Sept. 7 vs. Akron
  • Sept. 28 vs. Washington
  • Oct. 12 vs. Wisconsin
  • Oct. 19 vs. UCLA (announced on Tuesday as the homecoming game)
  • Nov. 9 vs. Minnesota
  • Nov. 23 vs. Illinois