Moon Township, Pa. - Back-to-back road games to open the season for the second straight year, an inaugural matchup with Big South foe Liberty and a full slate of Northeast Conference games highlight the 2010 Robert Morris University football schedule. Under the direction of 17th-year head coach Joe Walton, the Colonials will play 10 games as part of their regular season in 2010.

RMU will open its 2010 campaign by visiting the University of Dayton for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Sept. 4, at Welcome Stadium. It marks the third time in school history the Colonials will open a season against the Flyers and the first time in Dayton, Ohio, since 2006.

The following week Robert Morris will open its 2010 NEC slate by visiting Sacred Heart for a Noon kickoff Saturday, Sept. 11, at Campus Field in Fairfield, Conn. 

The Colonials open the home portion of their 2010 schedule Saturday, Sept. 18, with their inaugural meeting against Big South opponent Liberty at Joe Walton Stadium. RMU's tilt with the Flames marks the only home game in the first five weeks of the season.

Robert Morris will return to league play with road contests at Wagner (Sept. 25) and in-state rival Saint Francis (Oct. 2) before closing out the year with four straight home games and its 2010 regular-season finale at Bryant (Nov. 13).

The Colonials host Monmouth (Oct. 9) and Albany (Oct. 16) in back-to-back weeks before a bye Saturday, Oct. 23. Following the off week, RMU will welcome crosstown rival Duquesne (Oct. 30) and Central Connecticut State (Nov. 6) to Joe Walton Stadium. Each of the four games will kickoff at Noon. The homestand is the longest in the history of the program and marks the first time in school history Robert Morris will play four consecutive opponents at home. 

For the first time in league history, the winner of the NEC regular-season championship will earn an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. The NCAA recently expanded the Division I FCS championship bracket to 20 teams, and the NEC has one of 10 automatic berths in the field for 2010. The NCAA Division I FCS national championship game will be played Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, in Frisco, Texas.

Led by Walton, the only head coach in RMU history, the Colonials own an all-time record of 96-67-1 (.588). During that span Robert Morris has claimed five NEC titles, a pair of I-AA mid-major national championships according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette and two ECAC Bowl victories.

Robert Morris returns 19 starters, including 10 on offense and seven on defense, and 48 letterwinners in 2010. The Colonials enter the 2010 season on a five-game winning streak after closing the 2009 campaign with five straight wins in NEC play to finish in a tie for third place in the league standings with a 5-3 mark. Overall RMU posted a 5-6 record last season.

RMU Schedule Quick Hits: Robert Morris will play 10 games as part of its regular-season schedule for the first time since 2007 and the 10th time overall in the 17-year history of the program ... Central Connecticut State, Saint Francis and Wagner are the only opponents Robert Morris has faced in each of its first 16 years as a Division I program ... RMU will face off with Liberty for the first time in school history Saturday, Sept. 18 ... The Colonials are 17-9-1 (.648) all-time when facing an opponent for the first time ... Liberty is the second opponent from the Big South Conference to play Robert Morris, joining VMI (2008, 2009) ... RMU and Dayton will meet for the 12th time in 2010, the longest running non-conference rivalry in school history.

Robert Morris 2010 Football Schedule