2024 Toledo Football Schedule

TOLEDO, Ohio - The University of Toledo football team opened its preseason training camp Tuesday morning with the first of 24 practices before the season opener vs. Duquesne at the Glass Bowl on Thursday, Aug. 29. The Rockets had a pair of split-squad practices on Tuesday and will begin full-squad practices next week.

"It's Day One, so you have things that went really well, some things that went really poorly and things that were middle of the road like they should," said Jason Candle, now entering his ninth season as head coach. "It's a couple of weeks of going through ebbs and flows, and then you start to prepare your team for Week One, and put your time and energy and focus in trying to win a game. Then after that, the process is on repeat the entire year."

Toledo, picked to finish in second place in the Mid-American Conference by the league's coaches, is coming off an 11-3 season in 2023. The Rockets enjoyed an 11-game winning streak, their second-straight appearance in the MAC Championship game, and an appearance in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl last year.

Toledo returns 46 letterwinners, including three First-Team All-MAC selections -- wide receiver Jerjuan Newton, running back/kickoff returner Jacquez Stuart and safety Maxen Hook. Other All-MAC players include tight end Anthony Torres (second team), placekicker Luke Pawlak (third team) and defensive tackle Darius Alexander (third team). In addition, Toledo has an experienced quarterback in junior Tucker Gleason as well as a roster full of highly-regarded youngsters who are eager for their chance to shine.

Candle is counting on his veterans to help guide a roster that features 70 freshmen and sophomores.  

"We have 60 guys who have never been through our preseason camp before so veteran leadership is critically important," said Candle, the 2023 MAC Coach of the Year. "It's a responsibility they welcome and they shoulder with great attention to detail. We're going to need them to be that way the entire season."

Following their home opener on Aug. 29, the Rockets will return to the Glass Bowl in Week 2 to take on future MAC member UMass on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 3:30 p.m. After road games at Mississippi State (Sept. 14) and Western Kentucky (Sept. 21), the Rockets host defending MAC champion Miami in the annual Homecoming Game on Oct. 5 and Bowling Green in the annual Battle of I-75 on Oct. 26.

Season tickets are on sale now. To order tickets or for more information, please visit UTRockets.com/fbtix, call/text 419.530.GOLD (4653), or stop by the Rocket Ticket Office located in the Sullivan Athletic Complex at Savage Arena during office hours.