Moon Township, Pa. - Three home games in September, a pair of inaugural meetings with a non-conference opponent and a full slate of Northeast Conference games highlight the 2008 Robert Morris University football schedule. Under the guidance of 15th-year head coach Joe Walton, the Colonials will play 11 games as part of its regular season in 2008.

For the second straight year RMU will open its season at home, welcoming Morehead State Saturday, Sept. 6, for a 1:00 p.m. contest at Joe Walton Stadium. The Colonials and Eagles met for the first time in school history last year, with Robert Morris garnering a 9-8 victory in Morehead, Ky. In RMU's 14 seasons since the program began in 1994, the Colonials own an overall record of 8-6 in season openers. In home openers, Robert Morris boasts an all-time mark of 11-3.

RMU will play three of its first four games at Joe Walton Stadium, as joining Morehead State is Bucknell (Sept. 13) and Monmouth (Sept. 27). The Colonials will meet the Bison for the first time in school history, while their tilt against the Hawks serves as the 2008 Northeast Conference opener. Robert Morris will take to the road for the first time on the 2008 season when it visits Dayton Saturday, Sept. 20.    

The game against Monmouth also marks the start of three straight league games, as the Colonials will also visit Sacred Heart (Oct. 4) before returning home to host Duquesne (Oct. 11). The Dukes will play their first season as an associate member of the Northeast Conference in 2008. Robert Morris closes out non-conference action when it visits Bryant Saturday, Oct. 18. The Bulldogs are transitioning from Division II to Division I and will join the NEC as a full-fledged member in 2012.

The Colonials close out the 2008 campaign with league road games at Wagner (Oct. 25) and in-state rival Saint Francis (Nov. 15) that sandwich home contests against Central Connecticut State (Nov. 1) and defending NEC champion Albany (Nov. 8).

For the third straight year the regular-season champion of the NEC will face off with the regular-season champion of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) in the Gridiron Classic, which is set for Saturday, Dec. 6, at the home of the regular-season NEC champion. In the first two games of the Gridiron Classic, San Diego and Dayton of the PFL have claimed victories over Monmouth and Albany of the NEC, respectively.

Led by Walton, the only head coach in Robert Morris history, the Colonials own an all-time record of 86-55-1 (.609). During that span RMU has claimed five NEC titles, a pair of FCS mid-major national championships according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette and two ECAC Bowl victories.

Robert Morris, which returns 14 starters and 38 letterwinners in 2008, concludes spring practice Friday, April 18, with its annual spring Blue-White scrimmage at 4:00 p.m. at Joe Walton Stadium. Admission is free and the scrimmage is open to the public.

A look at the 2008 RMU football schedule: