Jersey Jam - Princeton vs. Rutgers Men's Basketball

The Scarlet Knights and Tigers basketball programs first met back in 1917 and played virtually uninterrupted until 2013. During that time, they met 120 times with the series standing at 75-45 in Princeton’s favor. Most notably Rutgers faced Princeton in the first round of the 1976 NCAA Tournament where they narrowly escaped an upset beating the Tigers 54-53. Today both programs are coming off their best stretch in decades and represent the best that New Jersey basketball has to offer. “We are so excited to open up our 2023-24 season schedule against Princeton. This is a matchup between two teams from the great state of New Jersey with a ton of history. We look forward to a great matchup in Trenton.” – Steve Pikiell, Head Coach, Rutgers Basketball “Generations of Princeton and Rutgers fans know what this game means to both programs, alums and the state of New Jersey. We are thrilled that this tradition will be renewed and the next generation of Princeton & Rutgers fans will be able to experience this rivalry.” – Mitch Henderson, Head Coach, Princeton Basketball “We can’t wait to see this in-state rivalry open the college basketball season in the state capital!” – Rick Giles, President, the Gazelle Group “We’re thrilled to work with the Gazelle Group and bring such a historic New Jersey rivalry to Mercer County and the Capital City of Trenton. The Rutgers and Princeton basketball programs are both ascending, and the CURE Insurance Arena is excited to set the stage and provide a great experience for college hoops fans in the tri-state area.” – Fran Rodowicz, General Manager, CURE Insurance Arena This exciting matchup not only marks the beginning of the regular season for these historic programs, but also the 154th anniversary of the first ever college football game when Rutgers beat Princeton six to four on November 6, 1869. Rutgers – Head Coach: Steve Pikiell, Big Ten Steve Pikiell has built Rutgers into an annual contender in the Big Ten, making two out of the last three NCAA Tournaments. The Knights return All-Big Ten center Cliff Omoruyi who led the team in points (13.2 ppg), rebounds (9.6 rpg) and blocks (2.1 bpg) in 2022-23. Princeton – Head Coach: Mitch Henderson, Ivy League Mitch Henderson led Princeton to a 23-9 finish in 2022-23 that culminated in a run to the Sweet Sixteen. The Tigers return 2023 Ivy League Rookie of the year Caden Pierce and senior guard Matt Allocco.