The Albany Great Danes football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Albany located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of CAA Football, the legally separate football league administered by the multi-sports Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). The 2013 season was the Great Danes' first in CAA Football, following a 14-year tenure in the Northeast Conference. Ten years later, they won their first-ever CAA championship, sharing the title with Villanova and Richmond.
Albany played football as a club sport in the 1920s, but dropped that program in 1924. The modern era of Albany football began in 1970, when the school restored football as a club sport. The team was upgraded to full varsity status in 1973. From the revival of football in 1970 through 2012, the team played its home games at the 10,000 seat University Field in Albany, New York. Albany opened a new 8,500-seat stadium, Bob Ford Field, for the 2013 season. The stadium was named after Bob Ford, who was the Great Danes' head coach from 1970 through 2013. It was renamed Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium after Tom & Mary Casey gave a $10 million gift to the school in 2015. The playing field retained the name of Bob Ford Field.
Contents
History
Bob Ford era
During the late 1900s one of the most well known coaches at the university was football coach Bob Ford. The architect of the University at Albany's football program, Ford was Albany's only head coach from the reinstatement of the program after a 46-year absence until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Ford joined the program in 1970 when it was a club. After only three seasons at the club level, the program was upgraded to varsity status in 1973, and finished with a 7–2 record. In 1974, the team finished 9–0, the school's only undefeated season. Ford put together a record of 256-169 with the Great Danes. Ford recorded his 250th career win with a 38-10 victory against Duquesne on October 8, 2011.
During his time with Albany, Ford led the Great Danes to one ECAC North championship (D-III), one Division III playoff appearance, two East Football Conference championships, six Northeast Conference championships (two co-championship) and one Division I playoff appearance.
Ford's knowledge has also created a "coaching factory scenario" at the university. More than 100 coaches, who have started their careers under Ford, became high school, college, and professional coaches.
The Great Danes have been successful in football since its first season on the Division I-AA level. In the 1999 season the Great Danes compiled a 7–2 overall record, finishing 6–1 in-conference, which was good for second in the NEC.
In 2002, Ford's team had its first big successful season at the Division I level. The Great Danes, led by running-back Gary Jones, would win the program's first-ever Northeast Conference title. They would go on to defeat unbeaten Duquesne in the 2002 ECAC Bowl. Jones would set the single-season rushing record mark with 1,509 yards (1,380 m) and scoring a program record 22 rushing touchdowns.
Jones would break his own single-season mark the following season, rushing for 1,524 yards (1,394 m). He would also become the programs all-time leading rusher with 3,033 yards (2,773 m) in only two seasons with the Great Danes.
Success for Ford's program continued during the 2006 season. The Great Danes would defeat #11 FCS ranked University of Delaware (a full-scholarship program) 17–10 in front of just over 22,000 people on September 16. Two weeks later, for the first time in the program's history, the team would be ranked in both The Sports Network and College Sporting News Division I-AA national polls, ranked at No. 23 in both national rankings. The Great Danes would finish the season 7–4.
Bob Ford Field and move to CAA Football
On April 17, 2012, the university broke ground on a new multi-sport complex that would be available for use beginning in Fall 2013. Along with a complex that will be the new home for football and soccer, a new track will be created on the current football field, University Field. The plans to build the stadium were revealed in the summer of 2011. The new stadium, which the field will be named Bob Ford Field, will hold initially 6,000. However, the stadium will be built so future expansion can take place upwards to 10,000 to 15,000.
It was announced on August 7, 2012 that beginning in 2013, the football program would accept an increase in scholarships and move out of the Northeast Conference and into CAA Football. Stony Brook, a former Northeast Conference rival, also made the move with them (it would eventually join the multi-sports CAA in 2022).
On November 17, 2012, the Great Danes played their final NEC game and final game at University Field against Central Connecticut State. UAlbany defeated the Blue Devils 63-34, finishing 78-24 all-time against NEC opponents and 127-65 at University Field. The Great Danes also clinched a share of the NEC Championship. However, they did not win the NEC automatic bid due to a loss against Wagner (one of only two losses on the 2012 season) and finishing in a tie with the Seahawks.
On August 13, 2013, Bob Ford, announced that after the 2013 season (his 45th year at UAlbany), he would be retiring. On November 16, 2013, Bob Ford coached his final home game for the Great Danes.
Post-Bob Ford era
The Great Danes would have their worst season under Bob Ford in 2013. The team would finish 1-11, the only time a Bob Ford team won only one game in a season. They would go 0-5 at home and 0-8 overall in their first season in CAA Football.
Despite the down season, there were memorable moments. On September 14, the Great Danes played their first game in brand new Bob Ford Field. In a 19–13 OT loss to Rhode Island, a sellout of 8,500 fans came for the home opener. Since tickets were not given for grass seats, it is believed near 12,000 showed up, making it one of the highest watched UAlbany games in program history.
Bob Ford would coach his final home game at UAlbany on November 16 against New Hampshire. On November 23, Ford would coach his final game at UAlbany, as the Great Danes would lose to Stony Brook on Long Island. He would finish with 265 career wins (256 at UAlbany), which was ranked 15th all-time in coaching victories at the time.
On December 9, 2013 Greg Gattuso, a former head coach at Duquesne University and assistant head coach at both Pittsburgh and Maryland, was named the new head coach at UAlbany.
2024 semifinal season
Under Gattuso, the Great Danes saw growth as a program, but minimal success. From 2014-2023 the Danes finished above .500 only three times. They would finish second in the CAA in 2019 and receive an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. After a 42-14 first round win over Central Connecticut State, the Danes would lose in the second round to Montana State 47-21. The next three seasons the Danes would win only 6 games (26 games...only 4 games were played in 2020 season because of the COVID Pandemic).
In 2023, the Great Danes reached incredible new heights. The Great Danes finished with an 11-4 overall record, going 7-1 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) action. The team claimed its first ever CAA title, sharing it with Villanova and Richmond. The Great Danes defeated Villanova midway through the season, 31-10 at home, and took down Richmond in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs, 41-13 at home.
UAlbany was awarded the NCAA's #5 seed in the playoffs, the highest the team has ever been ranked, while also receiving a First Round bye. The win over Richmond cemented the furthest the Great Danes had ever gotten in the postseason, previously having reached the Second Round in 2019. In the Quarterfinals, UAlbany flew across the country to #4 Idaho – taking down the Vandals, 30-22, in the Kibbie Dome to advance to the Semifinals before falling to South Dakota State, the top seed and the defending National Champions.
UAlbany and the NFL
Rudy Vido, who graduated in 1974 as a fullback and defensive end, became the first player in school history to sign a contract with an NFL team. He was cut in the preseason by the New England Patriots, so he never played in the NFL. Vido was also signed by several Canadian Football League teams, but never played in the CFL, either.
In 2005, Kurt Campbell became the first player in the program's history to be drafted into the NFL. Campbell was selected in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers.
In the 2007 NFL draft, Rashad Barksdale, who made the game-winning interception against Delaware in 2006, became the second player in school history to be drafted. He was selected in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Barksdale was cut however at the end of training camp, but was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, and became the first player in school history placed on an NFL 53-man roster.
Barksdale made his National Football League debut on October 7, 2007 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It marked the first time a UAlbany player had appeared in an NFL regular-season game when he took the field on special teams. He also played on the punt cover and punt return units and recorded his first career tackle in the fourth-quarter.
Barksdale was cut by the Chiefs on August 31, 2008. However, he signed with the New York Giants as a member of the practice squad for the 2008 season. On December 30, 2008, Barksdale became the first UA stand-out to make an NFL Playoff roster after the Giants signed him to replace corner Sam Madison, who went down with an ankle injury.
The highest ranked former Great Danes to be drafted was defensive end Jared Verse. Verse redshirted his freshman season at Albany. He made 22 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and four sacks over four games during his redshirt freshman season, which was shortened and played in early 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was named second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and won the conference's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. In 2021, Verse was named first-team All-CAA after finishing the season with 53 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Conferences
Classifications
1970–1994: NCAA Division III
1995–1998: NCAA Division II
1999–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
1970–1972: Independent
1973–1994: Division III Independent
1995–1996: Division II Independent
1997–1998: Eastern Football Conference
1999–2012: Northeast Conference
2013–present: CAA Football
Championships
Conference championships
† Co-champions
Playoffs
Division III
The Great Danes made one appearance in the Division III playoffs, with a record of 1–1.
Division I FCS
The Great Danes have appeared in the FCS playoffs three times, with an overall record of 3–3.
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 22, 2026.