One baseball team’s unexpected postseason run will have a significant effect on a college football game.
After winning a play-in game, the New York Yankees beat the team with the best record in the American League in the divisional series and is currently tied 3-all in the league’s championship series with the team that had the second-best record in the AL. Because of that professional stick-and-ball success, Rutgers announced Friday that its Nov. 4 football game against Maryland at Yankee Stadium will not be played at its scheduled venue.
Instead, the game will be played at the Scarlet Knights’ home in Piscataway.
“We were looking forward to staging this historic event at Yankee Stadium,” RU athletic director Pat Hobbs said in a statement. “With two weeks until the date, it was important for us to finalize details that help ensure our fans and our student-athletes have a one-of-a-kind experience. As a result of the Yankees’ amazing postseason run, there were operational concerns that called for us to make a decision at this time. It was agreed that moving the game to High Point Solutions Stadium was the best option under the circumstances.
“We value our continuing partnership with the New York Yankees and will be cheering them on this weekend and hopefully in the World Series.”
If the Yankees make it to the World Series, they would host games Games 3 and 4 Oct. 27 and 28 and potentially a Game 5 Oct. 29.
RU has previously played three games in Yankee Stadium. They played in the Pinstripe Bowl following the 2011 and 2013 season, while they were the road team for a 2011 regular-season game against Army.