2017 Schedule
Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College football program is proud to unveil its 2017 football schedule, an 11-game slate that features six Northeast Conference (NEC) contests, one Football Bowl Championship (FBS) opponent, two first-time opponents, and games vs. teams from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Ivy and Patriot Leagues.
Under the direction of third-year head coach
Jason Houghtaling, the Seahawks open the season under the bright lights of Hameline Field at Wagner College Stadium on Thursday, August 31 when they welcome the Saint Anselm College (NH) Hawks.
The 2017 lid-lifter against the Hawks marks the second straight year these schools will play a Thursday night season opener as the Green & White defeated Saint Anselm, 38-16 on September 1, 2016.
Following the season opener, the Seahawks hit the road for three straight games, the first of which is the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener on September 9 at Saint Francis U. Wagner then returns to the Big Apple, making the short trip into upper Manhattan on September 16 to meet New York City rival Columbia of the Ivy League.
The three-game road stretch concludes when Wagner boards a plane bound for Kalamazoo, MI for the Seahawks' first-ever meeting with FBS member Western Michigan on September 23. The Broncos, who compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), are coming off the best season in their history, a 13-1 campaign that culminated in the Cotton Bowl when they battled the University of Wisconsin Badgers to the wire before falling by a count of 24-16.
This marks the sixth consecutive season that Wagner will face at least one FBS opponent. The Seahawks round out the first month of play with a September 30 home matchup against Lehigh of the Patriot League for Wagner's first-ever meeting with the Mountain Hawks.
October kicks off with three straight conference matchups, beginning on October 7 with a visit to Duquesne which precedes home contests against Central Connecticut (Oct. 14) and Bryant (Oct. 28).
The Seahawks will host Robert Morris on November 4 in their final home contest of the season on Senior Day.
The 2017 regular season concludes on the road as Wagner travels to Stony Brook on November 11 before closing out the campaign in Fairfield, CT against NEC rival, Sacred Heart, on November 18.
The 2017 Seahawks return six All-NEC performers from a team that went 6-5 a year ago and capped the season with a 31-20 win over previously undefeated conference champion Saint Francis U, giving the Green & White a 4-2 league mark and a third-place league finish.
"Our goal every single year is to win the NEC championship and compete in the FCS playoffs," Houghtaling said. "Our conference just keeps getting better and better each year, I think this year's non-conference schedule is extremely challenging, and one that will prepare us well for league play.
"Saint Anselm gave us a test last year, playing at Western Michigan, a team that went to the Cotton Bowl and almost knocked off a Big 10 team in Wisconsin, will obviously be a huge challenge," Houghtaling added. "And we have some really exciting matchups against three very good football programs from academically-renowned institutions in Columbia, Lehigh and Stony Brook."
2017 Schedule
