Scores On This Historic Day: September 3, 1994, The New Rutgers Stadium Opens

September 3, 1994: The new Rutgers Stadium opens on the site of the old one, on the Busch Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in Piscataway, "On the Banks of the Old Raritan" as the school song goes.

From 1938 to 1992, Rutgers University had played football at a 23,000-seat stadium on the same site. But the growth of college football made the facility inadequate for the modern game: Wooden benches with no seat backs, not enough of them, no permanent lights, and press facilities barely good enough to cover a high school football game.

So the old stadium was dug up, and a new one was built in its place. The Scarlet Knights played their 1993 home schedule at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.

The new stadium was ready for the 1994 season, seating 41,500. Rutgers hosted Kent State University, based in Kent, northeastern Ohio, and a member of the Mid-American Conference. Rutgers won, 28-6.

The natural grass field was converted to FieldTurf in 2004. A new south end was built in 2009, expanding the stadium to 52,454 seats.

In 2011, the naming rights to the stadium were sold, and it became High Point Solutions Stadium. In 2020, it adopted its current name, SHI Stadium. Both High Point and SHI are headquartered in New Jersey.

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September 3, 1994 was a Saturday. It was a little too soon for the NFL, and also too soon for the NBA and the NHL. And Major League Baseball was on strike. But there were other college football games played on the day:

* The Big East Conference's Miami, ranked 6th, hosted the Southern Conference's Georgia Southern, and won 56-0. The Big East's Virginia Tech, ranked 21st, hosted the Big West's Arkansas State, and won 34-7. The Big East's Syracuse hosted the Big 8's Oklahoma, ranked 16th, and lost 30-29. The Big East's Pittsburgh hosted the Southwest Conference's Texas, ranked 19th, and lost 30-28. The Big East's West Virginia hosted the MAC's Ball State and won 16-14. The Big East's Temple visited the MAC's Akron and won 32-7.

* In the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State, ranked Number 4 in the country, hosted Virginia and won 41-17; North Carolina, ranked 18th, hosted Texas Christian (TCU) and won 27-17; and Duke hosted Maryland and won 49-16. Clemson, ranked 24th, hosted and beat the Southern Conference's Furman 27-6.

* In the Southeastern Conference, Auburn, ranked 12th, visited the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), and won 22-17. Florida, ranked Number 1, hosted the WAC's New Mexico State, and won 70-21. Alabama, ranked 11th, hosted the Southern Conference's Chattanooga, and won 42-13. Vanderbilt hosted and beat the ACC's Wake Forest 35-14. Kentucky hosted and beat independent Louisville 20-14. Georgia visited the ACC's South Carolina and won 24-21. Mississippi State visited independent Memphis and won 17-6.

* In the Big Ten Conference, Penn State, ranked 9th, visited Minnesota and won 56-3. Michigan, ranked 5th, hosted the Big East's Boston College, and won 34-26. Northwestern hosted independent Notre Dame, and won 42-15. Indiana hosted and beat the MAC's Cincinnati 28-3. Iowa hosted and beat the MAC's Central Michigan 52-21.

* In the Mid-American Conference, Western Michigan visited Miami of Ohio and won 28-25; and Toledo hosted Indiana State and won 20-17.