SUNY Maritime College opens the gates at Fort Schuyler this weekend for Homecoming 2026, and the main event is free for anyone who wants to walk in: the Maritime Privateers play Worcester Polytechnic Institute at Reinhart Field on Saturday, October 24, at 2 p.m.

The game is the centerpiece of a three-day homecoming and reunion weekend on the Fort Schuyler grounds at the tip of Throggs Neck. Most of the weekend is built around returning alumni, but several pieces of Saturday's schedule happen in the open, on the field and along the waterfront, and the college's general admission policy for regular season football means neighbors do not need a ticket to watch the game.

Saturday's game

Kickoff against WPI is set for 2 p.m. at Reinhart Field. It is a NEWMAC conference game, and the college lists it as its homecoming contest. Maritime came into the week at 2 and 5 overall. The team's first win of the season came on opening day, September 5, when the Privateers edged Worcester State 42 to 41 on the same field.

Halftime is reserved for recognition of the newest class of the Maritime College Athletics Hall of Fame and a presentation from the Parents Association. Before kickoff, at 1:30 p.m., returning alumni march onto Reinhart Field together with the cadet regiment.

Maritime Athletics states that general admission is free for its regular season home games, including football. Priority chairback seats for home football games are sold separately through the athletics ticket page for those who want a reserved seat.

Pass in Review and the waterfront

Saturday morning carries much of the ceremony. At 10:30 a.m. the college holds its Pass in Review, a formal review of the regiment of cadets, which this year also honors inductees to the college's Heritage Hall. Earlier, at 9:45 a.m., the college inducts new members into its Hall of Heroes at the museum.

Down at the water, an alumni regatta is on the schedule for 10 a.m., along with waterfront activities through the afternoon. Alumni lacrosse, baseball and basketball scrimmages also run during the day, and food trucks set up at noon near Reinhart Field with items sold individually. Two graduating classes, 1981 and 1991, are installing commemorative plaques on the seawall that morning.

Thursday and Friday

The weekend begins Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m. with the Athletics Hall of Fame dinner in the Maritime Academic Center, where the Class of 2026 is welcomed. The college asks guests to register in advance through the homecoming page. On Friday, October 23, alumni play the Ancient Mariner Golf Outing at Split Rock Golf Course in Pelham Bay Park, and a Will It Float race is scheduled at McMurray Hall at 3:30 p.m.

Homecoming arrives a few weeks into the tenure of Bethann Burke, whom the college named as its new athletic director on October 6. Burke comes to Maritime after more than 13 years in NCAA Division II athletics leadership, most recently at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Delaware.

The museum inside the fort

For neighbors who want to see the inside of Fort Schuyler on a quieter day, the Maritime Industry Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission and free parking. During homecoming the museum offers first come, first served tours on Saturday morning starting at 9 a.m., with the last tour at 10 a.m. Guided group visits on other days can be arranged ahead of time by calling the museum office at 718-409-7218 or emailing museum@sunymaritime.edu.

Saturday's game is one of two home dates left on the schedule. After a road trip to MIT on October 31, the Privateers return to Reinhart Field on Saturday, November 14, at noon against Springfield College.

Getting there

SUNY Maritime College is at 6 Pennyfield Avenue in the Bronx, at the end of the Throggs Neck peninsula. By transit, take the 6 train to the Westchester Square-East Tremont Avenue station and transfer to the Bx40 bus toward Fort Schuyler. The college gate is the last stop on the route. Drivers coming on I-295 use Exit 9 for Harding Avenue and Fort Schuyler, then follow Harding Avenue to Pennyfield Avenue and the gatehouse. Kickoff against WPI is 2 p.m. Saturday, October 24, and general admission is free.

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