PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers men's basketball team plays 18 home games as part of a 2009-10 regular season schedule that features 15 opponents that earned postseason berths in 2008-09. In addition to the always tough BIG EAST Conference slate, the Scarlet Knights play five non-conference foes from the state of New Jersey, as well as defending national champion North Carolina in a nationally televised (ESPN2) contest from Chapel Hill on Monday, Dec. 28.
The meeting with the Tar Heels will mark the second time in three seasons under fourth-year head coach Fred Hill that RU has played a defending NCAA champion on the road. The Scarlet Knights met Florida in Gainesville in 2007-08.
Rutgers will play two neutral contests in Atlantic City as part of the Legends Classic, both of which will be televised on HDNet. After hosting Drexel (Nov. 20) and Vermont (Nov. 22) at the RAC as part of the Classic, the Scarlet Knights will play Atlantic 10 Conference member Massachusetts (Nov. 27) at Boardwalk Hall, before meeting either Michigan State or Florida the next evening to cap the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. If the Scarlet Knights meet the Spartans, the schedule will include both of the 2009 NCAA finalists, the entire Final Four, as well as six teams that advanced to the Elite Eight.
The Scarlet Knights begin the season by hosting Marist in a 2:00 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, November 14. It marks the second consecutive season that Rutgers begins its regular season by playing the Red Foxes at the RAC.
Rutgers opens BIG EAST competition by hosting Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 2. The Scarlet Knights also welcome league foes Syracuse (Jan. 13), Villanova (Jan. 20), Notre Dame (Jan. 30), St. John’s (Feb. 2), Georgetown (Feb. 14), Connecticut (Feb. 20), DePaul (Feb. 27) and Seton Hall (March 4) to the RAC. RU travels to West Virginia (Jan. 6), Providence (Jan. 9), USF (Jan. 16), Georgetown (Jan. 23), Marquette (Jan. 26), Louisville (Feb. 6), DePaul (Feb. 16), Seton Hall (Feb. 23) and Pittsburgh (March 6) in conference play. The game versus the Fighting Irish will be televised live nationally on ESPN2, while the contest at Seton Hall will be televised live nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2.
The 2010 BIG EAST Championship will take place at Madison Square Garden March 9-13.
Additional times and television information for the Scarlet Knights 2009-10 schedule will be announced at later dates.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | TV | TIME/RESULT |
| Saturday November 14 |
MARIST | RAC | 2:00 PM |
|
| Friday November 20 |
DREXEL (LEGENDS CLASSIC) | RAC | 7:30 PM |
|
| Sunday November 22 |
VERMONT (LEGENDS CLASSIC) | RAC | 4:00 PM |
|
| Friday November 27 |
Massachusetts (Legends Classic) | Atlantic City, N.J. | HDNet | 5:30 PM |
| Saturday November 28 |
Florida/Michigan State (Legends Classic) | Atlantic City, N.J. | HDNet | 5:30/8:00 PM |
| Thursday December 3 |
PRINCETON | RAC | 7:30 PM |
|
| Sunday December 6 |
COLGATE | RAC | 2:00 PM |
|
| Wednesday December 9 |
MONMOUTH | RAC | 7:30 PM |
|
| Tuesday December 15 |
RIDER | RAC | 7:30 PM |
|
| Saturday December 19 |
NJIT | RAC | 2:00 PM |
|
| Tuesday December 22 |
ST. PETER’S | RAC | 7:30 PM |
|
| Monday December 28 |
North Carolina | Chapel Hill, N.C. | ESPN2 | 8:30 PM |
| Saturday January 2 |
CINCINNATI  |
RAC | |
|
| Wednesday January 6 |
West Virginia |
Morgantown, W.Va. | |
|
| Saturday January 9 |
Providence |
Providence, R.I. | |
|
| Wednesday January 13 |
SYRACUSE |
RAC | |
|
| Saturday January 16 |
USF |
Tampa, Fla. | |
|
| Wednesday January 20 |
VILLANOVA |
RAC | |
|
| Saturday January 23 |
Georgetown |
Washington, D.C. | |
|
| Tuesday January 26 |
Marquette |
Milwaukee, Wisc. | |
|
| Saturday January 30 |
Notre Dame |
RAC | ESPN2 | 6:00 PM |
| Tuesday February 2 |
ST. JOHN’S |
RAC | |
|
| Saturday February 6 |
Louisville |
Louisville, Ky. | |
|
| Sunday February 14 |
GEORGETOWN |
RAC | |
|
| Tuesday February 16 |
DePaul |
Chicago, Ill. | |
|
| Saturday February 20 |
CONNECTICUT |
RAC | |
|
| Tuesday February 23 |
Seton Hall |
Newark, N.J. | |
|
| Saturday February 27 |
DEPAUL |
RAC | |
|
| Thursday March 4 |
SETON HALL |
RAC | ESPN/ESPN2 | 7:00 PM |
| Saturday March 6 |
Pittsburgh |
Pittsburgh, Pa. | |
|
|
Home games in CAPS |
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