Fordham Night gave alumni, students, and families a chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and start a week of Homecoming celebrations. Photos by Francesca Marie Photography
More than 1,100 alumni, students, families, and friends reunited in the Bronx on September 22 for the eighth annual Fordham Night at Yankee Stadium, which kicked off Homecoming Week. Before the first pitch, more than 500 Rams packed a sold-out reception on the Mastercard Batter’s Eye Deck in center field.
The reception, held between games of a doubleheader, also drew a special guest from the visitors’ dugout: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez. Before the Texas Rangers drafted him in 2011 following his junior year at Fordham, Martinez was a star on the Rams baseball team, playing mostly second base and pitching in relief.
His Rays went on to win the night game 6-1 and clinch the AL East title. The Yankees, who won the opener, have already secured a playoff spot and will host the Boston Red Sox in a Wild Card Series next week. If they win, they’ll face the Rays in the division series, and the Miami-born Martinez will be back in the Bronx.
Longtime Fordham head baseball coach Kevin Leighton and Fordham President Tania Tetlow posed with Nick Martinez at the pregame reception. The former Ram, a 2026 All-Star in his first season with the Rays, pitched the first game of the doubleheader.
This year’s Fordham Night giveaway came with every ticket: a maroon Yankees cap with the interlocking “NY“ on the front and “Fordham“ embroidered on the back.Reception guests enjoyed 90 minutes of all-inclusive ballpark food, craft beer, and hard seltzers.Members of the Ramily—of all ages—wore Fordham gear to the eighth annual event, hosted by the Fordham University Alumni Association.Staff from the Office of Alumni Relations welcomed guests to the pregame gathering. Alumni caught up on the deck as Fordham Night kicked off Homecoming Week, which culminates at Rose Hill on Saturday, September 26, as the Rams take on the Stony Brook Seawolves.Some alumni brought the whole family, including the youngest fans.Young alumni took in the view from center field before the first pitch.Some fans wore giveaways from past Fordham Nights, like the Fordham-branded Yankees jersey handed out in 2022.Fans in Fordham maroon and Yankees pinstripes. Friends gathered for a group photo. Fordham Night has become one of the alumni association’s biggest traditions, drawing more than 1,000 Rams each year.Alumni could also skip the reception and buy a special event ticket, which included a $15 food-and-beverage voucher to use during the game.Rams raised a toast on the deck as the stadium lights came on for the evening’s nightcap.As night fell over the Bronx, Rams bundled up and headed to their seats.
