Rutgers to play Army at Yankee Stadium

The seemingly annual football game between Army and Rutgers will change course in 2011 as the battle of the Scarlet and Black Knights will not take place at either Rutgers Stadium or Michie Stadium. Instead, the contest will take place at the home of the New York Yankees.

Three people with knowledge of the situation informed the Star-Ledger earlier today that Yankee Stadium will play host to a game between Army and Rutgers the subsequent season after Army and Notre Dame do battle in 2010.

The announcement is expected to be made official at a news conference scheduled for Wednesday morning at Yankee Stadium.

In addition to the excitement of playing at such a significant landmark, the contest will count as a road game for the Scarlet Knights, despite the relatively short trip from Piscataway, across the Hudson River, to the Bronx. Rutgers will receive credit for a road game in the BCS standings.

The game itself serves as a tremendous opportunity for head coach Greg Schiano to further cement the school’s presence in the Empire State. New York locals have given Rutgers impactful players in recent years such, including Ray Rice, Courtney Greene, the McCourty twins as well as up-and-coming players Blair Bines, Pat Kivlehan, Keith Stroud and Scott Vallone.

For Rutgers, games against the Black Knights have been chances for experimentation and have rarely been close. Rutgers has outscored Army 71-9 in the last two matchups including a 359-yard day for Mike Teel last year and a 243-yard, two touchdown performance in monsoon conditions by Ray Rice two seasons ago.

Rutgers plays Army this season at West Point Friday, with the contest set for October 23 at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN 2.

Rutgers’ in-conference schedule in 2011 mirrors this season’s with home games against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and USF and road games against Connecticut, Louisville and Syracuse.