PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Dec. 8, 2024) – For the 13th time in program history and ninth under head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers football is heading to a bowl game. The Scarlet Knights will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, to take on Kansas State in the Rate Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 26 at Chase Field. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Listen on the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network.
Season ticket holders and R Fund members have first access to purchasing up to eight tickets from the Rutgers allotment that will be allocated in priority point order. The deadline for priority access is Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 11:59 p.m. The general public can also request tickets through the Rutgers allotment starting immediately, which will be allocated following season ticket holders and R Fund members' requests. Visit Rutgers Bowl Central for more information.
Official Rutgers merchandise is on sale for the Rate Bowl. Visit the Team Shop to purchase.
The Marching Scarlet Knights will be in attendance and are set to perform pregame and at halftime. Sir Henry and the Spirit Team are set to appear at events around the bowl game and on game day. Stay tuned for more information on Rutgers events in the area.
The Scarlet Knights won seven games in the regular season for the first time since 2014 and finished with four victories in the Big Ten, a program high. RU enters bowl season having won three of its past four games. That includes a comeback win over Minnesota and beating both Maryland and Michigan State on the road. The first Big Ten win of the season was a 21-18 triumph over Washington in front of 54,079 fans at SHI Stadium, while Rutgers defeated Virginia Tech, Akron and Howard to sweep the non-conference part of the schedule.
The offense produced a 2,000-yard passer (QB Athan Kaliakmanis), a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Kyle Monangai) and two 500-yard receivers (WR Dymere Miller and WR Ian Strong) in the same season for the first time since 2012. Rutgers is averaging 27.9 points, on track for its best mark since 2009, and ranks third in the Big Ten with 176.3 rushing yards per game. The defense held three of the last four opponents under 20 points. On special teams, PK Jai Patel has made his last 11 field goals.
Rutgers saw 12 players honored in the All-Big Ten voting, including Monangai (first), OL Hollin Pierce (second) and LB Dariel Djabome (third) all earning spots on the top-three teams.
This will mark the 35th game in the history of the Rate Bowl. Rutgers previously appeared in 2005 against Arizona State when it was labeled the Insight Bowl.
This will mark the second bowl matchup between Rutgers and Kansas State. In the 2006 Texas Bowl, Ray Rice rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown, Tim Brown caught two touchdown passes and Quintero Frierson had a pick-six in a 37-10 victory over the Wildcats. The first bowl championship in Rutgers program history capped an 11-2 season.
The Scarlet Knights are 6-2 in bowl games under Schiano.