History of Maryland–Rutgers football rivalry in Timeline

The Maryland–Rutgers football rivalry is a college football game between the Maryland Terrapins and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Both universities are members of the Big Ten Conference, creating annual matchups. While not a particularly heated or long-standing rivalry compared to others in college football, it exists due to conference affiliation and geographic proximity. Neither team has historically dominated the series, leading to competitive games. The rivalry is primarily significant within the context of the Big Ten East Division standings.

2008: New Jersey v. Delaware U.S. Supreme Court

In New Jersey v. Delaware (2008), the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed Delaware's jurisdiction over the eastern half of the bed of the Delaware River.

November 2014: NJ.com Reader Poll on Trophy Concepts

In a November 2014 NJ.com reader poll about potential trophy concepts, the most popular response was "Wait. When did Maryland-Rutgers become a rivalry?" receiving 24.74% of votes, while the top-earning concrete trophy was "Delaware!"

2014: Start of Big Ten Seasons

From 2014 to 2023, for seven of their first ten Big Ten seasons, Maryland and Rutgers were scheduled to play each other in the final week of the regular season.

2014: Maryland and Rutgers Join Big Ten

In 2014, Maryland and Rutgers both joined the Big Ten Conference and were placed in the newly formed East Division.

2015: On the Banks Article on Big Ten Rivalries

In 2015, On the Banks argued that both programs were "fledglings in the Big Ten, sitting at the kids table in terms of Big Ten rivalries, while the elders, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, etc., have had more time to develop true rivalries amongst themselves."

July 2016: Discussions About Rivalry Trophy

In July 2016, Rutgers Athletic Director Patrick E. Hobbs and then-head coach Chris Ash publicly acknowledged having "initial conversations with Maryland" about creating a rivalry trophy. Maryland's response was notably tepid.

2017: Rutgers-Maryland Game Moved From Yankee Stadium

In 2017, Rutgers attempted to move their home game against Maryland to Yankee Stadium as part of a football and wrestling doubleheader marketed as "The Battle in the Bronx," scheduled for November 4, but it had to be moved back to their home field at High Point Solutions Stadium (now SHI Stadium) with just two weeks' notice due to the possibility of the New York Yankees hosting World Series games.

2017: Yankees Elimination and Game Relocation

In 2017, the New York Yankees were eliminated from the American League Championship Series by the Houston Astros one day after Rutgers announced the venue change, meaning the stadium would have been available after all. Rutgers had paid a $750,000 stadium rental fee, which was refunded when the game was relocated. Fan response to the original Yankee Stadium plan had been lukewarm.

2024: National Coverage of Manufactured Rivalries

By 2024, national coverage regularly cited the Maryland-Rutgers matchup as an example of how conference realignment forced manufactured rivalries, with The Athletic noting that while traditional Big Ten rivalry games "surpass 100 games played and several debuted in the 1890s," newer protected matchups struggled to generate similar gravitas but are driven by geographic convenience.

2024: Athletic Revenue Rankings

In 2024, Rutgers' athletic revenue was more than $110 million, the 42nd-highest in the NCAA, and one spot ahead of No. 43 Maryland, which brought in $107 million.

2024: Big Ten Eliminates Divisions

In 2024, the expanded 18-team Big Ten eliminated divisions but designated Maryland–Rutgers as one of 12 protected annual matchups in the new Flex Protect XVIII model, ensuring the teams would continue to meet annually through at least 2028.

2024: Maryland leads series

Through 2024, Maryland leads the series 12-8, with a 7-4 record in conference play.

2028: Protected annual matchups

In 2024, the expanded 18-team Big Ten designated Maryland–Rutgers as one of 12 protected annual matchups in the new Flex Protect XVIII model, ensuring the teams would continue to meet annually through at least 2028.