Rutgers football finally has a schedule that looks to be set in stone for the fall, and Greg Schiano 2.0 is set to get underway on Oct. 24 at Michigan State. Saturday’s schedule reveal came three days after the Big Ten reversed course and voted to have a season after originally postponing it back on Aug. 11.
Schiano, the Scarlet Knights’ head coach, knows the task in front of him is difficult, and it got only more challenging with the whole COVID-19 pandemic. But, he says everyone is excited now that they all know games will occur soon.
“I can say this is a lot different and certainly the biggest challenge, but one that I'm excited about, I'm glad I'm doing it at 54 and not 34, that I can tell you, but I'm excited,” Schiano said. “I know our staff is excited. But we've been working all along, but you can feel the energy meter is turned up in this building right now.”
While other teams across the country that started play already are playing in front of fans, no fans -- aside from possibly family members -- will be allowed in SHI Stadium in Piscataway.
Schiano noted the atmosphere will likely feel something like an intersquad scrimmage, except the game will count.
“I really can't tell you what it's gonna be like, I've never done that. But I imagine it's going to be a lot like when you scrimmage against yourself in your stadium except the stakes are going to be much higher,” Schiano said. “But I think everybody's been waiting to play football for so long, and we've had the advantage of watching some other teams do it and what it's going to be like. I don't know if family will be allowed in the stands. Maybe that. Who knows what's going to happen.”
While no fans will be in the stands, Schiano said these games will be all about their teammates and fighting for them. It’s a unique situation.
“We have five weeks to get our team ready. And all my focus is on that. I think as we get closer to the game, I'm going to talk to our team a lot about and I've already thought about what I'm gonna say is, this is a true test to see just how much you love the game of football because you're playing, although millions of people are watching on TV, you don't know that when you're playing the game,” Schiano said. “It's who is in that building that day. And you're going to be tired all the same, you're going to be hurt and all the same like you do on every football game, but are you going to be able to play for your teammates on your right on your left and your coaches over on the sideline, because that's who is going to be in there with you. I love it. Not that I love not having fans, don't get me wrong, I love the fact that the guys are playing for each other. And I think that'll be something that is going to be interesting to watch unfold.”
Over the last few months, other teams have formed ways to keep teams in touch with the fans, and Rutgers will do so in a virtual manner.
“Our fans, I am going to really ask them and try to include them and everything we do this season,” Schiano said. “It's not the way that I thought it would be, obviously. But there's things that we're going to do that I've already asked our marketing people and the people who work on this stuff to include our fans, whether it's TV shows or call-ins or whatever we got to do to make them feel as much a part of it as we can. And hopefully there can be some interactive stuff that happens on game day with our fans being involved. And I don't know that's not my territory, but I've asked people who it is their territory to make that happen. So as we get closer, I think they'll make some announcements about what we're going to do.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
