Northwestern and Rutgers are set to open the season in Piscataway, New Jersey at noon ET on Sunday, Sept. 3 and be televised by CBS, according to a report from Adam Rittenberg.

Northwestern has won 2 straight in the series, most recently in 2021 in Evanston, 21-7.

This game will be the first for Northwestern’s re-tooled staff under Pat Fitzgerald. After the Wildcats’ worst season in 33 years, defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, defensive line coach Marty Long and wide receivers coach Dennis Springer were let go after the Wildcats finished 1-11 for their worst record since the 1989 team went 0-11. The replacements are Armon Binns (receivers), David Braun (defensive coordinator) and Christian Smith (defensive line).

Rutgers similarly hired Pat Flaherty as its new offensive line coach, and Kirk Ciarrocca was named the Scarlet Knights’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the same position he held last season with the Golden Gophers.

The Wildcats got off to a great start last season, with a win in Ireland over Nebraska, which later fired coach Scott Frost. The Wildcats struggled from there and were ranked among the worst in the nation in run defense and total offense.

Fitzgerald is 110-101 in 17 seasons, but the program has stumbled to a 4-20 mark over the past 2 seasons.