Delaware 2022 college football schedule finalized with 8 CAA games

League expansion complicated and delayed the creation of the University of Delaware’s 2022 football schedule but now the Blue Hens know who they’re playing and where.

Delaware will open its 2022 Colonial Athletic Association football schedule on Sept. 17 at Rhode Island, as the league-wide slate was announced Tuesday. 

The Colonial home opener follows a week later against league newcomer Hampton. Other CAA home games are against Towson (Oct. 1), first-year member Monmouth (Nov. 5) and Richmond (Nov. 12).

In other league road games, Delaware visits William & Mary (Oct. 8), Elon (Oct. 29) and traditional season-ending rival Villanova (Nov. 19).

James Madison’s departure after this school year for the Football Bowl Subdivision’s Sun Belt Conference, announced late last fall, led to the CAA adding Stony Brook, which was already a football-only member, Monmouth, Hampton and, later, North Carolina A&T as all-sports members.  

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North Carolina A&T will not join in football until 2023, giving the CAA 13 schools this season. 

CAA teams will continue to play eight-game league schedules in 2022. The Blue Hens will not play CAA foes Stony Brook, New Hampshire, Maine and Albany in 2022. At least so far, the league has not announced the adoption of a divisional format.

Delaware will be playing its first season under coach Ryan Carty. The former UD quarterback was hired Dec. 10 less than two weeks after Danny Rocco’s firing following a 5-6 season.

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Carty left Sam Houston State, where he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2021 spring NCAA champs, having previously performed those duties at New Hampshire.

Delaware is in the middle of spring drills that will culminate April 16 at Delaware Stadium with the annual Blue-White intrasquad game.

Delaware’s nonconference games for 2022 had already been set.

They are comprised of the season opener at FBS-level Navy Sept. 3, the home opener against Delaware State Sept. 10 and a home game versus DelState’s MEAC rival Morgan State Oct. 22.   

Delaware and Navy have been frequent combatants, with 17 meetings. Delaware has won 10, including 2003 and 2007 trips to Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. But Navy has won the last three, including the school’s most recent meeting, 51-7 in 2013.

The Blue Hens will be trying to recapture the magic of their 2021 spring season, created in the wake of COVID-19 wiping out the fall 2020 schedule. The Blue Hens reached the NCAA FCS semifinals and finished 7-1.