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Advice for Visiting Fans (LONG)

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collegefootballfan81

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Apr 15, 2016
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WARNING: this is long and definitely not for you if you hate people asking for free advice.

My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We’re working on a B1G blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games, and I was hoping you’d indulge me on some questions about Rutgers football games. Basically, what I am asking is that if you and I met randomly on an airplane and I told you all about my trip to a Rutgers football game, you wouldn’t have to say, “You did it all wrong, next time you should …”

NOTE: Let me explain why I took this research approach over simply Googling. The idea for the blog is to compile game-day tips for fans by fans, not simply an aggregation of Google search results (which are too often based on which restaurant or hotel has the best SEO team). Simply slapping some Google results on the blog would be easier, but I believe it would lack a certain amount of richness that can only be obtained through human feedback. This is my attempt to get some human feedback from those who are most familiar with Rutgers Football.

Feel free to answer any or all of the questions that you’d like, and if you can think of any other info I’ve overlooked feel free to throw that in there too!

TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly in on?

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area?

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days?

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the B1G, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite B1G school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?


As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!
 
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collegefootballfan81 said:
WARNING: this is long and definitely not for you if you hate people asking for free advice.

My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We’re working on a B1G blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games, and I was hoping you’d indulge me on some questions about Rutgers football games. Basically, what I am asking is that if you and I met randomly on an airplane and I told you all about my trip to a Rutgers football game, you wouldn’t have to say, “You did it all wrong, next time you should …”

NOTE: Let me explain why I took this research approach over simply Googling. The idea for the blog is to compile game-day tips for fans by fans, not simply an aggregation of Google search results (which are too often based on which restaurant or hotel has the best SEO team). Simply slapping some Google results on the blog would be easier, but I believe it would lack a certain amount of richness that can only be obtained through human feedback. This is my attempt to get some human feedback from those who are most familiar with Rutgers Football.

Feel free to answer any or all of the questions that you’d like, and if you can think of any other info I’ve overlooked feel free to throw that in there too!

TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly in on?

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area?

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days?

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the B1G, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite B1G school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?


As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!
Click to expand...


This site is a good start:

http://texanmarktailgate.blogspot.com/2011/07/rutgers-tailgate-and-visitors-guide-11.html
 
College Football fan--Here are a few things off the top of my head--
Remember to bring extra soda-Gatorade caps with you--the snack stand people HAVE to keep the caps (no, I am not joking)
Rutgers (High Point Solutions) Stadium is in Piscataway which you can walk to from New Brunswick which is on the other side of the Raritan River--New Brunswick has tons of restaurants and two hotels (Hyatt and Heldrich) which are within walking distance of the stadium
The New Jersey Shore is about 40-45 minutes from Piscataway/New Brunswick-if you have extra time,go to Island Beach State Park(miles of open beach and NO boardwalks which I prefer) on the ocean,if you want something closer,pick Point Pleasant
I will include some local tourism websites and enjoy your trip. By the way, the WORST college football experience I have ever had is at Connecticut

www.visitnj.org
www.gocentraljersey.com
www.funnewjersey.com
http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/visit/attractions-destinations
 
Do visit the first game statue, outside the north gate of the stadium.
The statue commemorates Rutgers as the birthplace of college football in 1869.
This is also where the Scarlet Walk happens as the team walks to the locker room before each game.

Do spend some time at restaurants / bars / etc. in New Brunswick. The Piscataway side of the river has the stadium & tailgating, but the other attractions for visitors are on the New Brunswick side.

Do take a walk through the Old Queens and Voorhees Mall area of campus (the historic part of campus in New Brunswick). Rutgers was chartered in 1766, making it the 8th college in the American colonies. This area lets you soak some of the history in.

Do buy (via stubhub etc.) a parking pass for the Scarlet, Green, Yellow, or Blue lots at the stadium if you plan to tailgate. The tailgating here is as good as anywhere. And ignore any instructions to wait until a few hours before game time. The lots effectively open at dawn on game day.
 
collegefootballfan81 said:
TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Newark, EWR
Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly in on? It is a United hub

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights? You can do Philly, Laguardia or JFK, but I would not recommend it.

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area? No. You can take a train from EWR to New Brunswick, Then shuttle bus, or moderate walk, to Stadium

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days? In town it is the Heldrich or Hyatt, strongly recommend that option. The Stadium is actually in Piscataway Township but the hotels there are in corporate office parks and would require a rental car. There a million options in the general area.
Entirely possible to stay in Manhattan and commute to the game by train.

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)? In stadium nothing remarkable. Lots of options from low brow to very fancy along Easton Ave. and George St. Extremes are represented by Fat Sandwiches (gut busting truck food) to Catherine Lombardi's (elegant Italian)

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds? Try the ticket office first. Official RU resale site is TixCity. Stubhub, craigslist etc. all options. Also the old fashioned way in the tailgate lots.

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at game? Specific areas for visiting fans? Blue Lot is the party-est.

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out? Old Queens Campus immediately adjacent the train station is the historic heart of the campus from the first decade of the 1800s. Alexander Hamilton saw action on the little rise where this is located during the Revolution.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites? Manhattan, Broadway, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, The Jersey Shore, and lots more.

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable? In New Brunswick stick to the campus and George St/Easton Ave corridor. Not that the town is that bad relative to over urban areas.

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the B1G, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite B1G school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences? Have not been to them all yet but can't say I didn't like any. Ann Arbor and Madison probably the nicest.


As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!
Click to expand...
 
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collegefootballfan81 said:
WARNING: this is long and definitely not for you if you hate people asking for free advice.

My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We’re working on a B1G blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games, and I was hoping you’d indulge me on some questions about Rutgers football games. Basically, what I am asking is that if you and I met randomly on an airplane and I told you all about my trip to a Rutgers football game, you wouldn’t have to say, “You did it all wrong, next time you should …”

NOTE: Let me explain why I took this research approach over simply Googling. The idea for the blog is to compile game-day tips for fans by fans, not simply an aggregation of Google search results (which are too often based on which restaurant or hotel has the best SEO team). Simply slapping some Google results on the blog would be easier, but I believe it would lack a certain amount of richness that can only be obtained through human feedback. This is my attempt to get some human feedback from those who are most familiar with Rutgers Football.

Feel free to answer any or all of the questions that you’d like, and if you can think of any other info I’ve overlooked feel free to throw that in there too!

TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly in on? Most convenient airport is Newark. Cheapest might be Atlantic City, though that has limited access from other cities.Philadelphia is also an option that is somewhat close.

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights? BWI or Dulles. JFK or Laguardia.

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area? Car rental is probably preferable, but you can do mass transit if flying into Newark. I'm pretty sure Uber is good in this area, though I've never used it.

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days? If you are not renting a car.....it probably limits your feasible hotels to the Hyatt or Heldrich in downtown New Brunswick. If you are renting a car, that opens up the possiblities to the Piscataway and Somerset areas since its a short drive.

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)? Food in the stadium is pretty generic. Tailgating food can be pretty extensive throughout the lots (anywhere from Hamurgers and Hotdogs to a whole Pig Roast. Visitors may want to try the Food Trucks lined up between the Blue and Yellow lots on gameday if they don't bring their own tailgating food.

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds? Stubhub and Ebay are good options if the game is sold out.

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at game? Specific areas for visiting fans? If you are renting a car or driving, I would try to buy a Yellow or Blue lot pass on ebay or stubhub. If not, there is a solid beer garden across from the stadium adjacent to the Yellow Lot.

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out? Scarlet Walk is worth seeing. Statue commemorating the first college football game. Willie the Silent and the Old Queens Section of the College Ave Campus.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites? The Jersey Shore and Delaware Water Gap are some options. NYC for those that haven't been is a no brainer. Tons of museums, Central Park, WTC site etc.

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable? I would say our fans are mostly Neutral to opposing fans. Safety shouldn't be much of an issue. There are some iffy areas in New Brunswick, but there should be little to no reason to wander/get lost in those areas. NYC you need to have general city awareness.

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the B1G, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite B1G school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences? Only been to Nebraska and Wisconsin so far. Both were positive experiences, though Nebraska is above and beyond for fan friendliness. Would do that trip again. For Nebraska we 'tailgated' on the roof of a bar in downtown Lincoln. Not a lot of tailgating options on gameday. Its more of a bar scene for tailgating.


As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!
Click to expand...
 
It's always hard to answer these questions. I mean NCY is 1 hour away. Philly is 1.5 hours. The Jersey shore is 40 minutes. New Hope/Lambertville is 1 hour, and on and on. So are there some cool resort towns/historica sites/can't miss entertainment/etc....? Um, yeah there is. But you should just by yourself a Foder's guide or Lonely Planet to New York because it's too long to list. This isn't like visiting Columbus or Happy Valley.

As a visitor, the other main thing to know is not to make eye contact with any of the natives. Very dangerous. Make sure to tell your friends. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
 
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I think the other thing that folks that have never been in the Northeastern Megalopolis of which Central NJ is smack in the middle of, should be aware of is distance doesn't mean nearly as much as time in making travel plans. It might be five miles on the map but it could take 20,40 or more minutes depending on the traffic. Avoid driving weekday rush hour, particularly the extended afternoon drive time, which in many places starts before 4PM and lasts past 7PM. Plan some time cushion.
 
TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly in on? Newark, it is a United hub so if where you are coming from has United it will make it real easy. BTW train right from Newark to New Brunswick if you dont want to rent a car

2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area?See above. Uber is available once in New Brunswick

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days? Hyatt and Hildrich are the $$ hotels in NB. But no need for car once there. Great food and drinks. Anything from high end $$$$ to student hang outs.

FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)? I have been a season ticket holder for 35 years and have never eaten in the stadium. Where to eat depends. High end Catherine Lombardi, Frog and Peach, Steakhouse 84, Stage Left etc. Fun bar and food , Destination Dog, Stuff Your Face, Brother Jimmy's. A ton of restaurants in NB

TICKETS

6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds? Stub hub

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at game? Specific areas for visiting fans? If going to get tickets on stub hub try and get a parking pass. They are set up by colors. Scarlet, Green White , Yellow , Blue, Black etc. IMO Yellow and blue best lots for fun tailgating. If no pass you can park at the Rutgers Athletic Center ( Orange Lot ) and get bussed over. There are private parking lots first come first serve. http://www.scarletknights.com/facilities/parking.html

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out? Exactly two hours before game time the team marches in at the Scarlet walk past the statue commemorating the first game. If staying in NB walk through Old Queens campus. and Vorhees Mall. Remember up until 1940's Rutgers was a small private college seen as an Ivy school. Lot of History, location where Alexander Hamilton bomber the British ect. We were college 1766 before we were a country.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites? Jersey Shore, NYC!

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable? PArts of NB are not great but stay by the restaurants and you will be fine. Don't wear a Penn St shirt . I know at my tailgate visitors are welcome.

OTHER BIG TEN SCHOOLS

11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the B1G, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite B1G school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?


As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!
 
Away Venues: . Gameday at OSU was fantastic and their fans were so nice to my group.

Air Travel: .Philly airport is only 1.5 hours away and has a great many flights to the Midwest. Took a cheap direct US Airways (now American Airlines) flight to Columbus for our trip there from PHL. Also, some Southwest flights to Newark, however, many more into/out of PHL.

Hotels: .Many hotels in Piscataway area within minutes from the stadium (*must drive or Uber).

If you stay in New Brunswick there are many very good restaurants as mentioned above. Also, free bus service to the stadium on game day.
 
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Let me add a bit about the Jersey Shore. It's swimable through Sept as water stays pretty warm. Island Beach is great but you can't get wet after Labor Day. Some great pubs down the shore: St Stephans in Spring Lake, Connoleys in Belmar and Leggets in Manasquan
 
Here's some advice -- don't wear Penn State gear. That is all.
 
FWIW, when I booked a flight to Chicago for next month, I found cheaper flights on Delta out of LGA instead of EWR. (Although the train fare to NB is at least $30, so it may or may not be a wash depending on the EWR fares, but you can take a bus out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal for approx. $10 cheaper. There are a ton of bus lines that use it, and I know Coach USA/ Suburban Transit goes from NYC to NB.)

RU has a very vibrant tailgating scene. The lots are spread out. If you're cordial enough, some fans might invite you to their tailgate and share food and drinks with you.

Also, if you want to visit the rest of the campus, don't forget to check out Cook/ Douglass. Lots of trees, Passion Puddle, the campus farm, the main section of the art school, and the historical women's college are there. Just down the street from Cook/ Douglass is Rutgers Gardens, with an arboretum, bamboo forest, and an old-growth woodland.

Of the other B1G schools, I've only been to two for games and two more at other times of the year, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and things to do in Madison.
 
don't have too much more to add except Lincoln NE was a GREAT party town on football weekend

Don't go to State College unless you have a tin foil hat to protect you from the zombie drones and a nose clip for the stench.
 
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Go to the Camdem and Newark campuses so you get to drive over to Philly and and NYC
The NB campus is pretty stale but that is where the game is
Parking is a mess us tuber then leave quickly or get abused
 
JoeRU said:
Let me add a bit about the Jersey Shore. It's swimable through Sept as water stays pretty warm. Island Beach is great but you can't get wet after Labor Day. Some great pubs down the shore: St Stephans in Spring Lake, Connoleys in Belmar and Leggets in Manasquan
Click to expand...
1st one is in Spring Lake Heights not Spring Lake, never a cover and music almost everyday.

2nd one is gone soon to be reopened as the Anchor Tavern - not much info on it yet.

3rd is not bad but if it's a nice day send him across the inlet to the Patio Bar at the Wharf side.
 
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TRAVEL

1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly in on?

Newark is very close with a rail connection to New Brunswick station. Also, it's quite feasible to fly into Newark and take the train to Manhattan. Get a hotel in Manhattan and take the train to New Brunswick on Saturday morning for the game. Visiting schools have held tailgates for their fans at the Visitor Center on Busch Campus, right near the football stadium.


2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?

A 3-4 hour drive gives you lots of options: Trenton (half hour) has some budget flights with very limited schedules -- Frontier is one. Allentown (1 hour) has several other options including budget airlines. Philadelphia (1 hour) is a major option and I have found it to be worthwhile to consider due to lower airfares at times. LaGuardia (1.5 hours) and JFK (1.5 hours) have a wide range of options. Baltimore Washington (3 hours) and National (4 hours) would still offer the possibility of taking the train to the stadium via Amtrak, though you may have to transfer to NJ Transit in Metropark. Still within 4 hours would be White Plains (2 hours), Islip (2.5 hours), Atlantic City (2 hours), Bradley (3 hours).

3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in the area?

Public transportation is the best in the nation, and Uber is an option for sure, although it does require some patience after the game. I take the train to the games quite frequently. NJ Transit can take you from Penn Station in Manhattan or Newark directly to the New Brunswick Station. From there you can take a taxi, bus, uber or simply walk to the stadium. I like the walk, so I usually skip the other options. The train platform on the southbound side lets you off right at the Rutgers bookstore. From there you can walk right down College Avenue through the heart of the main campus. It gets a bit confusing at that point, but basically there are two bridges that get you across the river, and the stadium is right on the other side. It's about a 30-40 minute walk in total.

I worked the train station as a Rutgers guide for a couple of the bigger games and this option was used by lots of visiting fans who were staying in Manhattan. The Arkansas fans loaded up the double-decker NJ Transit trains (10 cars long) and had themselves a party train for the hour-long ride from Penn Station. They were hootin' and hollerin' the whole way down including some very impressive Woo Pig Sooie chants. The ride back after the game was a bit less festive that day due to an unexpected defeat

From the train station you can take the free shuttle which has been located at the northbound side of the train station entrance. That's where the taxi stand is located also, and there is another taxi line on the southbound side. Uber is always a good option in New Brunswick to get to the games, but I would walk back or take a shuttle. Uber riders always seem to have trouble meeting up with drivers after the game because the traffic is so bad.

HOTEL

4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a couple days?

Resort towns in the summer or early fall would include any Shore town. I like Asbury Park (1 hour) because it has a beach and great restaurants with a huge gay/lesbian population on the weekends. Long Branch (1 hour) has some cool ocean front options. Point Pleasant (1 hour) has a great boardwalk. Seaside Heights (1.25 hours) has the best boardwalk Jersey Shore feel. Long Beach Island (1.5 hours) is if you're serious about the beach. Atlantic City (2 hours) is a major destination in itself as is Cape May (2.5 hours) if you have time for a true getaway experience. Ocean City (2.5 hours) has been recently voted the best beach in the U.S. and has a great boardwalk, as does Wildwood (2.5 hours).

Other areas that are not just for warm weather visits would include Princeton (half hour), Lambertville/New Hope (1 hour), the Pennsylvania Dutch country (2 hours) and the lower Hudson Valley of New York State (2 hours).

Of course New York City and Philadelphia are always an option and both a short drive or train ride away.


FOOD

5. What are your favorite places to eat at during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

Pizza. Coming from any Big Ten school, you'd have to have our pizza. Just about any pizza joint will do, but there are lots of lists of excellent pizza places in Central Jersey. My favorite is Stan's Chitch's Cafe in Bound Brook (15 minutes) but Skinny Vinnie's right in New Brunswick is a great local option. The stadium food is expensive and nothing is really that great, in my opinion. They have some good Italian sausage and peppers sandwiches, but the rest of it is just average. Outside the stadium they have a couple of food trucks in a picnic area with some live entertainment. Rutgers is known for its food trucks, so it's definitely a possible option especially if you don't have a tailgate before the game.

TAILGATING

7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

They seem to have a tailgate for visiting fans at the Visitors Center on Busch Campus, but I don't know how it works.

TRADITIONS

8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

Visitors often miss the historic heart of the New Brunswick campus because it's not where the stadium is located. Old Queens and Voorhees Mall are on the College Avenue Campus near the train station in New Brunswick. It's historic and quaint, and definitely worth a stroll. Rutgers started as a colonial college with a royal charter, and that part of campus has an old world feel. When I was a student the buildings were ivy covered, but that has all been removed for structural reasons.

One comment about the layout of the university that always seems to confuse people involves our unique campus configuration. Rutgers, up until recently, was divided into several smaller colleges, each with its own location among the 5 New Brunswick campuses. Douglass, for example, was an all women's college, while the College Avenue Campus was the site of Rutgers College (Queens College in 1766) which was an all-male college until the early 70s. While in the same university, each college had its own admissions and graduation requirements, separate graduations ceremonies, and separate courses. That changed gradually over the course of several decades, and now the separate colleges no longer exist. However, the geography of the university still reflects this older configuration. Douglass College and Cook College (Ag School) are now the Douglass/Cook Campus on the eastern end of New Brunswick. The College Avenue Campus is on the northern end of the city, while Busch and Livingston Campuses lie on the opposite bank of the Raritan River in Piscataway. There is also a small downtown campus. The fact that these campuses lie on both sides of the Raritan is the reason we refer to our school as being "On the Banks."

http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/about/one-community-five-campuses

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, what local sites/attractions should they make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

Vacation spots would be the Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, Cape May, New York City, Philadelphia, the Poconos, or Catskills. All are vacation options depending on the time of year.

SAFETY

10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

The main tailgates are on the north side of the stadium. If you want to avoid that scene, there is a large lot on the south end in Johnson Park which serves as a game day lot across the street from the stadium and the tailgates there are usually quite civilized and very often have a mix of Rutgers fans set up next to visiting fans. It's a nice spot if you are just interested in tailgating close to the gate but I'd rather be up on the north end where the action is. In general, I'd say our fans are very welcoming and hospitable. I've heard of many situations where the visiting fans were invited to join in on a tailgate as welcomed guests. The message boards are often a good place to connect with Rutgers fans before the game. I've never done it myself but I've seen several of my fellow Rutgers fans invite visitors in message board posts and they welcome them into their tailgating parties. I've never witnessed any violence toward visiting fans or even much intimidation.

While we have a long history of tailgating at football games, we spent many decades playing old Eastern rivals which never really prompted too much of the crowing you might get at "big time" programs even in the years of great success. In the past couple of decades we've been struggling to gain respect among our conference foes, so I think you'll find that Rutgers fans are very welcoming but have a bit of an inferiority complex which can make us rather defensive. We're probably more loyal than most typical fan bases because we have been through so many tough years and yet we're still there year after year in support of our beloved university. So we don't tend to brag or pick fights, but if someone starts something with us, then the Jersey will come out.
 
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