The Northeast isn’t exactly a haven for college football, especially at the FCS level. However, the Albany Great Danes are quickly becoming an exception to that. Finding cheap Albany football tickets has been a challenge for fans in Eastern New York since the school made football a varsity sport in 1973. Since then, the Great Danes have slowly worked their way up to the FCS level and become one of the top programs in the Northeast. As the program continues to build, last-minute Albany football tickets grow in demand.

All About Bob

Bob Ford is the biggest reason Albany has a quality football program. He took over the Great Danes in 1973 when they were a Division III independent. Under Ford, Albany made the jump to Division II in 1995 and the FCS level in 1999, experiencing plenty of success along the way. The Great Danes won back-to-back Eastern Football Conference championships in 1997 and 1998, going 21-2 over those two seasons before jumping to the FCS level. Albany went on to win five Northeast Conference championships between 2002 and 2012 while also making the program’s first appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2011. In his final season, Ford led the Great Danes into the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the program another step forward.

Reaching for the Top

It wasn’t easy for Ford’s successor Greg Gattuso to live up to the accomplishments of a legend. However, he was eventually able to stabilize the program and put his stamp on things. Albany’s time in the CAA has had plenty of ups and downs. But Gattuso was able to lead the Great Danes back to the FCS playoffs in 2019, coaching Albany to its first playoff win. It was another step forward for the Great Danes and a sign that the sky is the limit for Albany at the FCS level.