Misplaced Pages

Albany–Stony Brook Football Rivalry

The Great Danes beat the Seawolves, 38–20, in 2023
Albany Great Danes Stony Brook Seawolves
Sport	Football
First meeting	November 18, 1995 Stony Brook, 40–21
Latest meeting	November 9, 2024 Stony Brook, 24–6
Next meeting	October 4, 2025
Trophy	The Golden Apple Trophy
Statistics
Meetings total	26
All-time series	Albany leads, 15–11
Trophy series	Tied, 5–5
Largest victory	Albany, 59–14 (2022)
Longest win streak	Albany, 6 (1996–2001)
Current win streak	Stony Brook, 1 (2024–present)

The Albany–Stony Brook football rivalry, also known as the Battle for the Golden Apple and the Empire Clash is an American college football rivalry between the Albany Great Danes and the Stony Brook Seawolves. Both teams represent university centers of the State University of New York, and since 2013 have competed together as members of CAA Football, the legally separate football league operated by the multi-sports Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The two teams have met 26 times on the football field, with Albany currently holding a 15–11 edge in the all-time series. Albany leads the series 12–10 since 1999, when both programs moved up to Division I.

Since 2013, when both programs joined CAA Football together, they have been meeting yearly as part of their conference schedule. The rivalry game was coined the "Empire Clash" in 2013 during their first CAA Football game against each other. Starting in 2015, the winner of the game is awarded The Golden Apple Trophy. The game is traditionally played on the final week of the regular season.

Albany plays home games at Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium (capacity 8,500, grass surface, located in Albany, NY) and Stony Brook plays home games at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium (capacity 12,300, artificial turf surface, located in Stony Brook, NY).

History

The winner of each year's game is awarded the "Golden Apple" trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 2015, when Stony Brook defeated Albany 20–2 at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in the final week of the regular season.

Stony Brook and Albany began playing each other regularly beginning in 2013, when both schools joined CAA Football. This led to the origin of the "Empire Clash" nickname, as Stony Brook turned to its fanbase to help provide a moniker for the rivalry.

Both Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore and Albany head coach Greg Gattuso admitted to feeling skeptical about the idea of the Golden Apple trophy when it was first introduced, but have since embraced the importance of its meaning to the teams and their fanbases.

The rivalry game is known to have implications on the FCS playoffs; in 2018, Albany defeated No. 10 Stony Brook 25–23 on a last-second field goal for its first conference win of the season, leading Stony Brook to settle for an at-large berth. In 2019, Albany defeated Stony Brook 31–26 to secure one of the last at-large berths in the playoffs.

Notable games

In 2011, the two teams met in the first round of the FCS playoffs; it was both Stony Brook's and Albany's first playoff appearance. Albany led 28–10 in the third quarter before Stony Brook scored 21 unanswered points to take a 31–28 lead. Albany drove down to Stony Brook's three-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter before Stony Brook safety Dominick Reyes intercepted Albany quarterback Dan Di Lella in the end zone to secure the win for the Seawolves. The win was Stony Brook's first playoff victory. Stony Brook played in the Big South Conference and Albany played in the Northeast Conference at the time.

Game results

See also

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games

References

1. Steenkamer, Daniel (November 14, 2019). "FCS: Delaware Seeking Senior Day Turnaround Versus Stony Brook". HERO Sports. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
2. "UALBANY FOOTBALL: Great Danes close out regular season with Stony Brook". The Record. November 22, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
3. "Stony Brook, UAlbany introduce the battle for The Golden Apple". Stony Brook University Athletics. November 16, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
4. ^ "Stony Brook travels to UAlbany for the Empire Clash – Stony Brook University". Stony Brook University Athletics. November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
5. "UAlbany set to face Stony Brook in 'Empire Clash'". UAlbanySports.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
6. "CAA eyes all-sports expansion". ESPN. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
7. "Football Announces Inaugural CAA Season Schedule". ualbanysports.com. December 18, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
8. "UAlbany draws former rival Stony Brook". Times Union. November 20, 2011. Archived from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
9. "ITS OFFICIAL! UAlbany Football Announces Its Move To The CAA For 2013". ualbanysports.com. August 8, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
10. "Stony Brook, UAlbany introduce the battle for The Golden Apple – Stony Brook University". Stony Brook University Athletics. November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
11. "Liotine's 203 yards helps SBU finish at .500". Newsday. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
12. Berkes, Peter (May 11, 2013). "Albany-Stony Brook rivalry needs a name". SBNation.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
13. "Fans can name Albany-Stony Brook rivalry game". Sports Network. March 25, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
14. "Rivalry Week Defines College Football – FloFootball". www.flofootball.com. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
15. "Stark's field goal sends Albany past Stony Brook 25–23". National Post. November 18, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
16. "Fields, Stony Brook can't complete comeback vs. Albany". Newsday. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
17. Zeller, Jonathan (November 26, 2011). "Stony Brook Arrives, Marching Band and All". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
18. Smith, Jared (November 26, 2011). "FCS Playoffs 2011, First Round Recap: Stony Brook Edges Albany, 31–28". SB Nation New York. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
19. "SUNY-Albany vs SUNY-Stony Brook (NY)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.

• College football rivalries in the United States
• Albany Great Danes football
• Stony Brook Seawolves football
• 1995 establishments in New York (state)