Robert Morris Colonials football

Last updated
Robert Morris Colonials football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2023 Robert Morris Colonials football team
RMU Colonials logo.svg
First season1994
Head coach Bernard Clark
5th season, 13–34 (.277)
Stadium Joe Walton Stadium
(capacity: 3,000)
Location Moon Township, Pennsylvania
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference NEC
All-time record1201131 (.515)
Playoff appearances1
Playoff record0–1
Conference titles6
ColorsBlue, white, and red [1]
     
Website rmucolonials.com

The Robert Morris Colonials football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Robert Morris University located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Formerly members of the Northeast Conference, the Colonials were originally intended to compete in the 2020 season as an FCS independent before becoming a football-only member of the Big South Conference in July 2021. [2] The Colonials would ultimately join Big South football several months ahead of schedule. After COVID-19 caused the Big South to move its fall 2020 season to spring 2021, with two teams playing in the fall and a third not playing at all in 2020–21, the conference brought RMU into its football league for its spring 2021 season. [3]

Contents

The school's first football team was fielded in 1994. [4] The team plays its home games at the 3,000 seat Joe Walton Stadium. They are currently led by fifth-year head coach Bernard Clark.

History

Classifications

Conference memberships

On June 15, Robert Morris Colonials announced leaving the Northeast Conference for the Horizon League in all sports except for football starting in 2020. The football program will join the Big South Conference in football 2021. For the 2020 football team, the Colonials were originally intended to play as an FCS independent. [6] The team's 2020 schedule was to have been played as originally set, but all games would have been considered non-conference. [7] However, this would change due to COVID-19 disruptions; the Big South brought RMU into its football league for its rescheduled spring 2021 season. [3]

On November 28, 2023, Robert Morris announced a return to the Northeast Conference effective with the 2024 season as an associate member for football only. [8]

Robert Morris defenders attempt to bring down an Air Force ballcarrier during a 2023 game at Falcon Stadium Air Force vs. Robert Morris (53166991065).jpg
Robert Morris defenders attempt to bring down an Air Force ballcarrier during a 2023 game at Falcon Stadium

Championships

Conference

YearCoachConferenceOverall recordConference record
1996 Joe Walton Northeast Conference 9–23–1
1997 8–34–0
19984–64–1
1999 8–28–0
2000 10–08–0
20108–37–1
Conference championships6

† Co-champions

FCS playoffs results

The Colonials have appeared in the FCS playoffs one time with an overall record of 0–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2010 First roundNorth Dakota StateL 17–43

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

Future non-conference opponents

Future non-conference opponents announced as of July 29, 2023. [9]

2023202420252026202720282029
at Air Force at Utah State at West Virginia at Akron at Youngstown State Murray State
Saint Francis at Lafayette Lafayette Towson
at Youngstown State at Eastern Kentucky at Youngstown State Norfolk State
Virginia–Lynchburg at Towson
Howard at Norfolk State

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big South Conference</span> College athletic conference in the southeastern US

The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non-football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and began operating the Big South–OVC Football Association in partnership with the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023. The Big South, founded in 1983, is firmly rooted in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with full member institutions located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Associate members are located in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horizon League</span> College sports league in the United States

The Horizon League is a collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the league's eleven member schools are located in and near the Great Lakes region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I</span> Highest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate facilities and more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Sun Conference</span> American college sports league

The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Division I FCS level in 2022. Originally established as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) in 1978, it was renamed as the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001, and briefly rebranded as the ASUN Conference from 2016 to 2023. The conference still uses "ASUN" as an official abbreviation. The conference headquarters are located in Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Morris University</span> Private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Robert Morris University (RMU) is a private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1921 and is named after Robert Morris, known as the "financier of the American revolution." It enrolls nearly 5,000 students and offers 60 bachelor's degree programs and 35 master's and doctoral programs. Most students are from the Pittsburgh area, while 16 percent of freshmen in 2018 were from outside Pennsylvania.

NCAA Division I independent schools are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA Division I level, but do not belong to an established athletic conference for a particular sport. These schools may however still compete as members of an athletic conference in other sports. A school may also be fully independent, and not belong to any athletic conference for any sport at all. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the school's primary athletic conference does not sponsor a particular sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Morris Colonials</span> College sports teams

The Robert Morris Colonials are the athletic teams for Robert Morris University, in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The Colonials compete in NCAA Division I. In 2020, the school joined the Horizon League as a full member after leaving the Northeast Conference. Several RMU sports that are not sponsored by the Horizon League play in other conferences. Football plays in the Big South Conference, and men's and women's lacrosse respectively compete in the ASUN Conference and Mid-American Conference. The school colors are RMU Blue, RMU Red, and RMU Gray/Silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Morris Colonials men's lacrosse</span>

The Robert Morris Colonials men's lacrosse team represents Robert Morris University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's lacrosse. The Colonials became a varsity program in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Morris Colonials women's basketball</span>

The Robert Morris Colonials women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season</span> American college football season

The 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Robert Morris Colonials football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Robert Morris Colonials football team represented Robert Morris University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Bernard Clark and played their home games at Joe Walton Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 James Madison Dukes football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Curt Cignetti and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Robert Morris Colonials football team</span> American college football season

The 2009 Robert Morris Colonials football team represented Robert Morris University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Colonials were led by 16th-year head coach Joe Walton and played their home games at Joe Walton Stadium. They were a member of the Northeast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Robert Morris Colonials football team</span> American college football season

The 2008 Robert Morris Colonials football team represented Robert Morris University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Colonials were led by 15th-year head coach Joe Walton and played their home games at Joe Walton Stadium. They were a member of the Northeast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Robert Morris Colonials football team</span> American college football season

The 2007 Robert Morris Colonials football team represented Robert Morris University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Colonials were led by 14th-year head coach Joe Walton and played their home games at Joe Walton Stadium. They were a member of the Northeast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Robert Morris Colonials football team</span> American college football season

The 2006 Robert Morris Colonials football team represented Robert Morris University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Colonials were led by 13th-year head coach Joe Walton and played their home games at Joe Walton Stadium. They were a member of the Northeast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Robert Morris Colonials football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 Robert Morris Colonials football team represented the Robert Morris University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Colonials played their home games at the Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, PA. The team was coached by fourth-year head coach Bernard Clark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment</span> Changes in US college athletic conferences

Beginning in the 2021–22 academic year, extensive changes occurred in NCAA conference membership, primarily at the Division I level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big South–OVC Football Association</span> American college football conference

The Big South–OVC Football Association is an association of football members of the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The Big South–OVC covers the American Midwest and South with member institutions located in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

References

  1. "RMU Brand Style Guide" (PDF). March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  2. "Robert Morris leaves NEC for Horizon League; football moves to Big South". wtae.com. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Big South Announces Football 2021 Spring Schedule" (Press release). Big South Conference. November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  4. Robert Morris Colonials Archived 2016-10-02 at the Wayback Machine , College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved October 1, 2016.
  5. Phil Axelrod (3 Sep 1994). "Ready or not, the future is here for fledgling Robert Morris". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. E-5. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  6. "Robert Morris football to join Big South Conference in 2021". fbschedules.com. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  7. "Robert Morris joins Horizon League, football heads to Big South". timesonline.com. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  8. "RMU Football to Rejoin Northeast Conference for 2024 Season". rmucolonials.com. November 28, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  9. "Robert Morris Colonials Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.