Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer
Men's soccer team of Rutgers University
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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Rutgers University–New Brunswick in New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. Rutgers's first varsity's men's soccer team was fielded in 1938, although organized soccer has been played at the university since at least 1869. The team plays its home games at Yurcak Field in New Brunswick. The Knights are coached by Jim McElderry.
| Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 2023 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer team | |||
 | |||
| Founded | 1938[n 1] | ||
| University | Rutgers University–New Brunswick | ||
| Head coach | Jim McElderry (5th season) | ||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||
| Location | New Brunswick, New Jersey, US | ||
| Stadium | Yurcak Field (capacity: 5,000) | ||
| Nickname | Scarlet Knights | ||
| Colors | Scarlet[8] | ||
| |||
| NCAA tournament runner-up | |||
| 1990 | |||
| NCAA tournament College Cup | |||
| 1989, 1990, 1994 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1960, 1961, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2022 | |||
| Conference tournament championships | |||
| 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2022 | |||
History
The origins of Rutgers soccer trace back to 1869, where the first ever collegiate football game was played in the United States. The then-Rutgers College (now Rutgers University) and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) played an exhibition match[9][10] that was won by Rutgers 6–4.[11] In addition to being considered one of the earliest soccer games reported in the United States, these two games are considered to be the first organized American college football games to ever be played.[12][13]
Rutgers' first varsity team was fielded in 1938,[1] where the Knights competed as an independent team. Rutgers remained unaffiliated with any formal athletic conference and was considered an independent until joining the Atlantic 10 Conference as an associate soccer member in the mid-1980s. The Knights Big East Conference for soccer in 1995.[14] On July 1, 2014, Rutgers became a member of the Big Ten athletic conference, after paying an $11.5 million exit fee to the American Athletic Conference (which formed as a result of the splitting of the Big East Conference).[15][16]
Players
Current roster
- As of September 2025[17]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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All-Americans
Rutgers has produced nine All-Americans.[18]
| Player | Pos. | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Alexi Lalas | D | 1991 |
| Dave Masur | MF | 1983, 1984 |
| Steve Rammel | FW | 1990 |
| Richard Schiesswohl | MF | 1966 |
| Herb Schmidt | FW | 1966 |
| Mike Shaw | MF | 1996 |
| Peter Vermes | DF | 1987 |
| Bobby Joe Esposito | FW | 1986 |
| Bill Walsh | FW | 1997 |
| Jason Wright | MF | 2014 |
Coaches
There have been six head coaches in Rutgers' history.
| Years | Coach | GP | W | L | T | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938–1970 | George Dochat | 278 | 141 | 116 | 21 | .545 |
| 1971–1974 | J. William Maytas | 47 | 10 | 32 | 5 | .266 |
| 1975–1980 | Kalman Caspo | 75 | 26 | 41 | 8 | .400 |
| 1980* | Geza Kiss | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .625 |
| 1981–2009 | Bob Reasso | 606 | 351 | 184 | 71 | .638 |
| 2010–2018 | Dan Donigan | 112 | 46 | 55 | 11 | .460 |
| 2019–present | Jim McElderry | 98 | 41 | 40 | 17 | .505 |
* Geza Kiss was an interim coach.
Honours
- Big Ten tournament
- Winners (1): 2022
- NCAA Division I Championship
- Runners-up (1): 1990
Notes
- Although Rutgers fielded its first soccer team in 1938,[1] the first de facto college football game held in 1869 between Ruters and Princeton Universities (with rules based on The Football Association)[2][3][4] is considered the first "not official" collegiate soccer match and the birth of the sport in the United States.[5][6][7]
