STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. —The Wagner College football team will host LIU as part of Wagner Homecoming Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m., with live coverage on NEC Front Row featuring Marc Ernay and Ray Martel on the call.
Wagner Homecoming Weekend
Prior to the game, Wagner Athletics will formally induct four new members into the Wagner Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. This year's inductees include Tim Capstraw '82, Wagner Award winner and former men's basketball (1989-99) and baseball (1984-85) head coach; Tim Heaney '03, football; Kelsey Rodgers '10, women's water polo and women's swimming and diving; and Jack M. Scholz Jr. '92, '94 (Master's), football and baseball.
The Class of 2026 will be formally enshrined at noon in the Manzulli Boardroom inside Foundation Hall on Wagner's campus before being recognized at halftime of the football game.
Family, friends and Wagner Athletics Hall of Fame members are encouraged to attend the ceremony, with a reception beginning at 11 a.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Following the ceremony, Wagner will host its annual "Wagner Gameday Show" inside the Spiro Sports Center beginning at 2:30 p.m. Hosted by Marc Ernay and Ray Martel, the show will feature appearances from the newest Hall of Fame inductees, head coach Tom Masella and Director of Athletics Ariel "AP" Pesante, with live coverage also available on NEC Front Row.
First and Ten
Wagner (1-5, 0-2 NEC) enters Saturday's matchup following a 28-13 loss to Princeton on Oct. 10.
The Seahawks finished with 327 yards of total offense, including 226 passing yards and 101 rushing yards, while Princeton recorded 386 total yards. Wagner also registered 20 first downs and held the Tigers scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Benjamin Newman finished 15-of-24 passing for 176 yards while adding 33 rushing yards on seven carries. Freshman quarterback Jason Wiley Jr. completed 5-of-6 passes for 50 yards.
Defensively, junior Brendan Leal led the Seahawks with seven tackles, while senior captain
Logan Barnes added six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Senior
Abdoul Idriss contributed five tackles, while Camp finished with four tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.
Liszner Earns NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Senior kicker Ryan Liszner was named NEC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance against Princeton.
The selection marks Liszner's second career NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor, with his first coming during his freshman season in 2023.
Liszner connected on both of his field goal attempts against the Tigers, converting from 39 and 38 yards to improve his season field goal percentage to 75 percent (3-for-4), tied for third best in the conference.
The senior put Wagner on the board midway through the opening quarter with a 39-yard field goal before adding a 38-yarder in the closing seconds of the first half.
On kickoffs, the New Jersey native totaled 167 yards on three attempts, averaging 55.7 yards per kickoff while recording two touchbacks.
Defensive Touchdowns
Last season, Wagner finished tied for first in the FCS with five defensive touchdowns.
This season, the Seahawks are tied for first in the FCS with 10 other teams, each recording two interception return touchdowns.
Junior Julio Tatis ranks second in the NEC with two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns.
The Series
Saturday's matchup marks the seventh all-time meeting between the two programs, with LIU holding a 4-2 advantage in the series dating back to 2019.
The last two meetings have been decided by one touchdown.
Wagner last defeated LIU in 2022, earning a 37-26 victory on Staten Island.
Scouting the Sharks
LIU enters Saturday's matchup with a 2-5 overall record and a 2-0 mark in NEC play following a 17-14 road victory over Duquesne on Oct. 10.
The Sharks, led by fifth-year head coach Ron Cooper, have won two consecutive games after also defeating Mercyhurst, 27-24, on Oct. 3.
LIU ranks seventh in the NEC in scoring offense, averaging 14.7 points per game.
Redshirt senior Rafael Fasolino ranks second in the NEC with 58 total tackles.
Last season, the Sharks finished 6-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
Preseason 2026
Wagner was selected fourth in the 2026 NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, marking the program's highest preseason ranking since 2019.
Five Seahawks were named to the 2026 Preseason All-NEC Team: senior defensive lineman Logan Barnes, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Ethan Appolon, senior defensive back Shamar Williams, senior running back Sekou Kamau and senior offensive lineman Malik Wilson.
Wagner will play 12 games this season, including seven conference contests, five home games and two matchups against FBS opponents.
The Captains
Ahead of the season, senior defensive lineman Logan Barnes and junior quarterback Jack Stevens were selected by their teammates to serve as team captains.
Barnes was named a captain for the second consecutive season, while Stevens earned the honor for the first time.
Know Before You Go
Prior to Saturday's Wagner Homecoming Weekend game, Wagner Athletics will formally induct the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, featuring Tim Capstraw '82, Tim Heaney '03, Kelsey Rodgers '10 and Jack M. Scholz Jr. '92, '94, during a noon ceremony in the Manzulli Boardroom before recognizing the inductees at halftime.
Following the ceremony, Wagner will host its annual "Wagner Gameday Show" at 2:30 p.m. inside the Spiro Sports Center, featuring appearances from the Hall of Fame inductees, head coach Tom Masella and Director of Athletics Ariel "AP" Pesante, with live coverage on NEC Front Row.
Gates open at 3 p.m., with tailgating in Tailgate Alley beginning at 2 p.m.
Fans can purchase game tickets and access to Tailgate Alley here.
New for 2026, Wagner Athletics is offering beer and wine sales inside Wagner College Stadium throughout the season. Beer will be available for $5 and wine for $9. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcoholic beverages. Sales will conclude at the end of the third quarter.
Fans can make their game day experience even more memorable by purchasing a videoboard message. Approved messages will be displayed on the stadium videoboard during the game. For more information, click here.
For questions, please email athletics.marketing@wagner.edu.
What's Next
Following Saturday's matchup, Wagner will hit the road for an NEC matchup against Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for noon in Pittsburgh, Pa., with live coverage available on NEC Front Row.
