From Carnegie Mellon University Athletics
Two of the top universities in the country will collide on the gridiron in a home-and home football series starting in 2019. The Carnegie Mellon University football program has reached an agreement to play MIT in 2019 and 2020. The initial game of the series will be played in Pittsburgh on September 7, 2019. The Tartans will then travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts for the return game on September 5, 2020.
"Carnegie Mellon and MIT are two of the best universities in the world, and both institutions have proud football traditions," said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. "This is a special opportunity to celebrate all of the things that make both schools great, including our football programs."
When the two teams step on the field in 2019 it will be the first-ever meeting between programs.
"What an exciting opportunity for players from both Carnegie Mellon and MIT – two great universities that compete for students now have a chance to compete on the playing field as well," said Carnegie Mellon head football coach Rich Lackner. "I know I speak for my coaches and players in thanking the administration from CMU and MIT for making this possible."
In January, Carnegie Mellon announced that it will have a home-and-home series with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in 2018 and 2019. In addition to MIT and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the Tartans have agreed to a home-and-home series with the University of Rochester for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The first game of the series will be played in Pittsburgh followed by a meeting in Rochester in 2018.
The opportunity to schedule non-league opponents arose when the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis announced their intention to cease playing football in the University Athletic Association following the 2017 season.
"It was important to our institution to ensure that our football student-athletes continue to have as rich an athletic experience as possible at Carnegie Mellon," Centor said. "We are excited to establish traditions with great institutions like Rochester, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and MIT and travel to some of the best cities in the country."
Carnegie Mellon ended its 2015 season on a seven-game winning streak and won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Legacy Bowl to finish with an 8-3 mark. The Tartans will begin the 2016 season on September 3 when Washington University travels to Pittsburgh.