Do you guys/gals like the Big 10?
- Thread starter hawkit3113
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Really like it when we get a full share of the money. Good luck to Patrick.
Welcoming? Ehhh, I mean we came in with a known substantial facility deficit (Delaney has said this in interviews), but yet we didn’t get a boatload of cash until like 7 years in. Major disadvantage for Rutgers, but hey, everybody else happy because they got richer and they got easy Ws in football, basketball, and most other sports too!
But aside from that, most of us LOVE being in the big ten. Seems to be a great fit for us overall, academically and athletically (aside from football which has been brutal, more on that later).
Many of us wish it wasn’t all about the money. We miss more regional rivalries. Being able to more easily travel to see our team play in the road. We’d rather see our teams win more than lose regardless of who us on the other side of the field/court/etc. Adding usc and ucla we guess sounds great but how does it really benefit Rutgers?
Football, well, we were at a major historical disadvantage. Don’t forget where the department was financially too. Also our president wasn’t a big sports supporter until recent new president. Fans came out in droves the first few big ten years, but why do people want to see a team constantly lose, especially with the worst offense anyone has seen in any level (only slight exaggeration but for like 4 of past 5 years our O has been cumulatively, probably the worst in all of fbs). Plus, we play too many juggernauts every single year. Again, rest of conference doesn’t care as it’s nice to have an easy win in football. Fan apathy has been settling in, we hope for regular bowl games, but even that is hard to see when it’s happening.
A fair amount of gripes listed above so let me emphasize again that most are B1G supporters of being in our “new” conference.
But aside from that, most of us LOVE being in the big ten. Seems to be a great fit for us overall, academically and athletically (aside from football which has been brutal, more on that later).
Many of us wish it wasn’t all about the money. We miss more regional rivalries. Being able to more easily travel to see our team play in the road. We’d rather see our teams win more than lose regardless of who us on the other side of the field/court/etc. Adding usc and ucla we guess sounds great but how does it really benefit Rutgers?
Football, well, we were at a major historical disadvantage. Don’t forget where the department was financially too. Also our president wasn’t a big sports supporter until recent new president. Fans came out in droves the first few big ten years, but why do people want to see a team constantly lose, especially with the worst offense anyone has seen in any level (only slight exaggeration but for like 4 of past 5 years our O has been cumulatively, probably the worst in all of fbs). Plus, we play too many juggernauts every single year. Again, rest of conference doesn’t care as it’s nice to have an easy win in football. Fan apathy has been settling in, we hope for regular bowl games, but even that is hard to see when it’s happening.
A fair amount of gripes listed above so let me emphasize again that most are B1G supporters of being in our “new” conference.
Cool post. We now have to think of our conference as national. And it might be hard for traditional big ten folks, but I like being from east to west.
The rest of the country will know our names because we have the platform.
And I seriously think RU is gonna shine. The talent is in your back yard. Just show them with fan support, win or lose.
RU is gonna be the biggest winner in expansion. Sleepy giant.
It’s a cool league with a great network . The fanbases are better than what we are in previously in the old big east and Atlantic 10 . The results so far suggest we don’t belong in this conference in football. Hopefully, this school corrects that because it doesn’t do us any good getting our heads handed to us weekly.
Football still has a way to go but in just about every other sport we have made huge strides. Even the men’s track team should show a big improvement this spring with some major transfers that should score big points
Yeah but those sports are not the PR piece of the university. We are in this league for football.
I LOVE the Big Ten...been a dream conference to be in an so lucky we are here
Pay us our damn money. If you're going to let UCLA/USC in Scott free than forgive our loans from that ridiculous 6yr. buy in you presented us. You basically held us over a barrel and fvcked us up the ass with that one, because you knew you could. Right now, Rutgers won't receive a full share till 2027(paying back loans), USC/UCLA get full share in 2025.
I mean, it's certainly better than the alternative (i.e., UConn). And obviously it's great/necessary for us financially.
But in a perfect world where money didn't matter, I'd want us in a more regional conference, something like the old Big East + Penn State. As a fan I miss road trips to football games.
Welcoming... Eh. When I've travelled to Ohio State and Penn State most of the fans were great. But generally don't feel like we've been welcomed. At least basketball is getting some respect now.
But in a perfect world where money didn't matter, I'd want us in a more regional conference, something like the old Big East + Penn State. As a fan I miss road trips to football games.
Welcoming... Eh. When I've travelled to Ohio State and Penn State most of the fans were great. But generally don't feel like we've been welcomed. At least basketball is getting some respect now.
Personally I’d rather see conferences be geographic. I realize everything is about money.
No reason college kids at Rutgers ever need to be on a plane for a regular season conference game. I can’t blame the players asking for a piece of the pie.
No reason college kids at Rutgers ever need to be on a plane for a regular season conference game. I can’t blame the players asking for a piece of the pie.
Of the Midwest schools, only Iowa has been remotely “welcoming”. Indiana, Purdue, NW and Nebraska resent having us in the conference the most. We’re a gem addition for the football blue bloods though. Adds recruiting appeal to have that visit to NJ a couple times in a career and the television deals we helped secure benefit them the most from a visibility perspective. Penn State also likes not being an island anymore.
There was a brief moment in expansion madness (2010-ish) where the Big East was so good it was ridiculous. The traditional Big East schools plus Louisville, Cincy and ND. Going to those BEAST tourneys at MSG will never be replaced. Top was 11 bids and 9 of those with top 6 seeds. But that league doesnt exist anymore. Otherwise everything is better in the BIG. Just a better fit institutionally overall.
And just researching this a bit more - 2008 where we had less bids overall but 3 #1s and 2 #3s!
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I think Iowa and Wisconsin have been the least bothered by our addition in the Midwest. Probably the best programs in the west division so again, television wise the contract we helped secure has some visibility value beyond the money.
Basketball venues and crowds are unsurpassed by any conference
Hate to tell you but we’re going to known as a basketball school. Football will always be the sacrificial lamb while most, if not all, the other sports will continue to rise and excel.
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I hope there will be a time when many will stop saying “Rutgers doesn’t belong” in the B1G. That’s my only beef. Hopefully that worm is turning, based also on success of Olympic sports, football not withstanding, although that will change soon. At least to a respectable level
I love it because it’s the best conference in the country and makes us the most money. Aside from academics and money, it’s done nothing for us regarding football. It’s almost 10 years and we were bad when we joined and are still bad…arguably the worst in the league. We’ve had much better fortunes in basketball though I’d attribute that more to Pike than the league.
I like the idea of building rivalries in both dominant sports of football and basketball (the old Big East was largely driven by the Catholic schools that did not have D1 football teams).
While we currently suck in football, I can at least dream of one day beating conference rivals Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, as we have done in basketball.
While we currently suck in football, I can at least dream of one day beating conference rivals Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, as we have done in basketball.
Iowa fans are a class act and have been very welcoming. As some have said Rutgers has become more than competitive in practically all sports programs other than football. But in time RU football will be on par with programs like Iowa , Wisconsin and Minnesota. Often overlooked are the academic benefits associated with the BIG which are many. It benefits Rutgers to be included with so many first rate national institutions and has broadened Rutgers appeal to a larger universe of prospective students. Net Net --I'm very pleased that Rutgers is part of the B1G.
I have to disagree there. With the last remnants of Greg Schiano’s recruits we came into the BIG as a middle of the pack football program. Lack of funds for coaching staffs and the complete incompetence of Flood and Ash as first time head coaches (at any level) were a disaster that sent us spiraling downward.
Yes but it’s still something I love about being in the BIG, which was the question
Wirh sone nitpicking expcetions (what fan base doesn’t ???). ….we love it as a whole.
We love being associated with universities of similar type and stature and it has been very good to helping out university and capturing an long overdue identity and we are starting to scratch our potential as a major state university …with the kids coming out of this state on the high school level, we should be on the level of a “public Ivy”…and have made up a lot of ground in the last 8 years toward that goal
It’s massively helping our applications pool and our incoming students . Not that the SAT is the be all to end all (it’s one measure), but the class of 2022 is the largest class we ever had with the best median SAT score (1360 ish)…
We love being in the big ten in basketball and we are enjoying the Olympic sports ….
Football is a different animal …we entered playing division 1A football in 1980 with a 23000 seat stadium from 1938……and only had a chance to go “big time” because the meadowlands gave us a venue to play at this level …in 1980, the schools of the big ten had a 20-30 year head start as we entered in the picture . And it took our university 20 years to figure out and a mutiple head coaches that the phrase “instructional commitment “ matters
So in football, we entered the big ten behind 30-40 years in a lot of things and are playing catch up ….so it’s going to take time and a generation (hopefully not two!!!) to grow up alumni on the big brand and to catch up to the rest of the league …while the landscape and goalposts of major college sports changes . I think we will get there and have successes along the way…but it’s going to take a lot of patience t
For the most part …big ten fans are very engaging to talk to. I’m in business with lots of clients in the big ten footprint and the commonality is quite strong . Lots of good coveraation ….
Sure …We have had our football game day issues with visiting fans…but who doesn’t .
Overall , speaking for the scarlet nation …as a whole …we would not trade to be anywhere else ….0
Very. Was a rough start and certainly many B1G fans didn’t see what Delaney saw… but it appears he was correct and everything is headed in the right direction. Will be better when we don’t have to face OSU, UM, PSU and MSU every year in football…
What a question--it seems condescending. The BIG is lucky to have us.
Bottom line, love the Big Ten and love BTN and we have been very fortunate getting the invite when we did, bailing us out of that mess called the AAC. What we have done with it and what we will do with it, is up to US. Look at Pike. He was thrilled to get the basketball job and made no crazy facility demands and built a winner before the basketball training facility was built. That is how you deal with an opportunity. No excuses. The money was better than the AAC from day 1 and is getting better every year.
I only have two complaints:
1. In football, why do we have to play OSU, Michigan, and Pedd State every year...sometimes all in the same month ?
2. Can we get an upgrade in officiating for basketball games ? Seriously, sometimes on the road it feels like we're playing eight-on-five.
1. In football, why do we have to play OSU, Michigan, and Pedd State every year...sometimes all in the same month ?
2. Can we get an upgrade in officiating for basketball games ? Seriously, sometimes on the road it feels like we're playing eight-on-five.
The Big Ten is the league where Rutgers always belonged. Our academic and athletics profile matches virtually every other school in the conference (I know, football and volleyball not there yet, but it will be). I think most fans have been welcoming, but only because they felt sorry for us in the early years when we were cash starved and were not very competitive athletically. We had our most successful athletics year ever last year, and we are a legit force in many sports (wrestling, lacrosse, men's basketball, baseball, M and W's soccer, field hockey, etc.) My only gripe, as others have said, is that we should have been given a full slice of the financial pie from day one. We dramatically increased BTN access in the NYC market, and that should have at least let the conference throw some cash our way after the fact. We've always been an academic research powerhouse, so I'm sure that the Big Ten appreciates are academic partnership, as well as our role as a gateway to New York City.
I think the teams that don't like us are the schools from Indiana, because we beat them in virtually every sport. I'm looking forward to the day when ALL fan bases hate us, because that means that we are beating them regularly.
I have mixed feelings about USC and UCLA, As everyone knows, they are fine academic and athletics institutions, but I worry about THEIR student athletes having to travel to so many away contests that are not even remotely near their campuses. I also like the idea of a traditional Pac10, I mean Pac12, that plays the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl every year, and I feel badly for the Pac12 schools that are left behind. As Cindy Lauper says, money changes everything, so I guess everyone in our league has no choice but to move forward an accept the benefits of being a high profile and truly national conference.
Scarlet Jerry
I think the teams that don't like us are the schools from Indiana, because we beat them in virtually every sport. I'm looking forward to the day when ALL fan bases hate us, because that means that we are beating them regularly.
I have mixed feelings about USC and UCLA, As everyone knows, they are fine academic and athletics institutions, but I worry about THEIR student athletes having to travel to so many away contests that are not even remotely near their campuses. I also like the idea of a traditional Pac10, I mean Pac12, that plays the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl every year, and I feel badly for the Pac12 schools that are left behind. As Cindy Lauper says, money changes everything, so I guess everyone in our league has no choice but to move forward an accept the benefits of being a high profile and truly national conference.
Scarlet Jerry
Just get us out of the Big 10 east in football and I'm good. Who in America should have to have play 3 top 10 teams every single year.
I don’t miss Boston College Syracuse Pitt at all. I would rather not ever play them again. We belong in the Big Ten academically and athletically! We also belong as a flagship state university. Believe it or not the only school we were similar to academically in the old Big East was UConn!
I would also mention that I LOVE being on BTN. We were used to being treated as an athletics stepchild on ESPN and other stations, but the BTN team really understands sports and the value of our athletics programs. They are cheerleaders for everyone in the conference, and it's refreshing to listen to commentators who understand each team and each player in depth. The production values of the network are also superb and blow away other conference stations. It's like having your own infomercial channel, and as we keep winning, it will only get better.
Scarlet Jerry
Scarlet Jerry
No doubt Pike caught lightning in a bottle with Geo, Ron, Caleb… but certainly the promise of facilities and now a RAC upgrade is helping him get to the next level in recruiting and sustained success.
Love being in the B1G despite the BS financial screw they gave us on the way in
Welcoming? Mostly no. "Rutgers doesn't belong" was many were saying even though we clearly do
You're welcome for bringing the NY/NJ market and the money that comes with it
Welcoming? Mostly no. "Rutgers doesn't belong" was many were saying even though we clearly do
You're welcome for bringing the NY/NJ market and the money that comes with it
I do feel like we have quietly become everyone’s second favorite team.
Gentleman, we gotta think Big. RU needs to be a national brand and lock down the East Coast
