OT: Rutgers Wrestling

[RUScrew85]

So the Mrs and I went to our second RU wrestling meet this evening. Sadly we were upset by Wisconsin but we again had a great time. For a nationally ranked program Rutgers fans do not support this program anywhere near how they should.

It's very exciting to watch. Great seats are widely available. Parking is cheap and close by. There is literally no traffic getting into or out of the RAC for these events. And we're actually good at it. There is really no reason not to try it once and see if you like it. It might surprise you.

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the Wrestling program and about as far as you can get from being a Pollyanna.

 

[Tango Two]

Update and results:


https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/forums/wrestling-baseball-soccer-lax-more.16/

 

[mikeinsec127]

I was there as well. This was a make up. Think of a make up game in baseball after a rain out. They are never as well attended. If ticket sales were anything like a typical BIG contest, then we sold about 2000-3000. As for overall support of the program, it has ramped up nicely. ALL BIG meets are at the RAC so that ticket demand can be met. RU jumped into the top 10 in home attendance last year and will end there again this season. Earlier this season, this squad became the highest ranked RU Wrestling Team ever. The incoming recruiting class is monster good. All things are looking up for RU Wrestling.

 

[RUScrew85]

I was there as well. This was a make up. Think of a make up game in baseball after a rain out. They are never as well attended. If ticket sales were anything like a typical BIG contest, then we sold about 2000-3000. As for overall support of the program, it has ramped up nicely. ALL BIG meets are at the RAC so that ticket demand can be met. RU jumped into the top 10 in home attendance last year and will end there again this season. Earlier this season, this squad became the highest ranked RU Wrestling Team ever. The incoming recruiting class is monster good. All things are looking up for RU Wrestling.

There ya go. So git yer asses to a meet.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I have wrestling season tix. Chalk up last night as a learning experience. This is only RU's second year in the B1G. The wrestlers will eventually realize that EVERY match in this league is brutal. They have to bring their A game each time they hit the mat. Too often last night, RU wrestlers allowed Wisconsin grapplers dictate their style. RU cannot allow that to happen.

RU battles No. 8 Michigan tomorrow at noon at the RAC. I encourage everyone who can make it to attend. It will be interesting to see how we bounce back.

 

[RU4Real]

The idea of watching men rolling around, groping each other never really appealed to me.

But I'm glad Rutgers is having a great year, just the same.

I'm thinking about hoops season tix for next year. I'm told that tailgating for basketball is "illegal". We'll just see about that.

 

[Bleed_Scarlet]

Supposed to go to the match tomorrow

Where is the best parking for the event?

Thanks

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Supposed to go to the match tomorrow

Where is the best parking for the event?

Thanks

It's at the RAC, so plenty of parking available. $10 per car.

 

[koleszar]

The idea of watching men rolling around, groping each other never really appealed to me.

But I'm glad Rutgers is having a great year, just the same.

I'm thinking about hoops season tix for next year. I'm told that tailgating for basketball is "illegal". We'll just see about that.

My wrestling coach in grammar school used to find only the tough kids and explained to them, You like to get in trouble and fight? Well I'm going to teach you a legal way to beat the sh*t out of someone. I always remember this conversation and the tough kids in my town would wrestle and all the wimps would play basketball. My town was a big wrestling town though and we looked down on basketball everyone went to the wrestling matches and they were packed. Basketball no one cared about or went to there games.

 

[RU4Real]

My wrestling coach in grammar school used to find only the tough kids and explained to them, You like to get in trouble and fight? Well I'm going to teach you a legal way to beat the sh*t out of someone. I always remember this conversation and the tough kids in my town would wrestle and all the wimps would play basketball. My town was a big wrestling town though and we looked down on basketball everyone went to the wrestling matches and they were packed. Basketball no one cared about or went to there games.

How lovely for you.

I've never been much concerned with legalities.

 

[HeyHuey]

So the Mrs and I went to our second RU wrestling meet this evening. Sadly we were upset by Wisconsin but we again had a great time. For a nationally ranked program Rutgers fans do not support this program anywhere near how they should.

It's very exciting to watch. Great seats are widely available. Parking is cheap and close by. There is literally no traffic getting into or out of the RAC for these events. And we're actually good at it. There is really no reason not to try it once and see if you like it. It might surprise you.

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the Wrestling program and about as far as you can get from being a Pollyanna.

I will be at the match tomorrow. Last Sunday I was at Jadwin. The GA tickets were $10.00. Parking was free. Tomorrow M Section tickets cost $16. Each ticket had a $3 fee and my 2 tickets had a $2 "delivery" (email postage?) charge. Parking will be $10. Jadwin match $20.00 total. RAC match $50.00 total. I thought I'd never say this about another arena but the RAC has it all over Jadwin. Jadwin has become seedy and is ready for a face-lift. I hope that Wisconsin was a trap match and that the team was looking ahead. Coach Goodale will use it to get his guys psyched. It should be a great match.

 

[rufeelinit]

I went to the Nebraska match and really enjoyed it. Will be going again tomorrow. Would encourage all to give it a shot. The program deserves the support.

 

[RUScrew85]

The idea of watching men rolling around, groping each other never really appealed to me.

But I'm glad Rutgers is having a great year, just the same.

I'm thinking about hoops season tix for next year. I'm told that tailgating for basketball is "illegal". We'll just see about that.

While watching I have found myself saying: "Self, I don't think this sport is for you. Ewww."

But hey if the guys doing it are OK with having their face in a sweaty hairy guy's armpit then they deserve our support even more.

 

[Nit777]

While watching I have found myself saying: "Self, I don't think this sport is for you. Ewww."

But hey if the guys doing it are OK with having their face in a sweaty hairy guy's armpit then they deserve our support even more.

Rutgers is in a well stocked wrestling recruiting area.

With the 9.9 limit, a few schools can not get them all.

I would expect more upper end recruits and continual top 10 finishes if the coach sticks around and the administration provides adequate support.

 

[scarlet night]

I'll be there tomorrow, gonna be a tough one but hoping they are fired up after yesterday's disappointment

 

[RUforlife]

The idea of watching men rolling around, groping each other never really appealed to me.

But I'm glad Rutgers is having a great year, just the same.

I'm thinking about hoops season tix for next year. I'm told that tailgating for basketball is "illegal". We'll just see about that.

No doubt these are some great student athletes, but you are not alone, not many people care about college wrestling. For all the clamor we heard in previous threads of how wrestling is such a big sport in New Jersey only 2,800 people bothered to show up at the Wisconsin meet to support a team that was ranked 12th in the nation at the time. The facts don't lie, only a few die hard fans really care about this sport and if the team drops off a bit it will be back at the College Avenue Gym in front of a couple hundred people on a good night. By the way, this is the current coach's 9th season and all he has produced is two 8th place NCAA finalists and college wrestling isn't about dual meets, it is about how you do at Nationals and under the current regime we have done next to nothing.

Here is an idea, let's move the money from this dying sport to a growing collegiate sport like hockey. Just a thought.

 

[MrsScrew]

The Nebraska match was the first wrestling I have ever attended and I loved it. Friday night was equally as exciting despite the disappointing loss.

I'm hooked!

 

[Crazed_RU]

No doubt these are some great student athletes, but you are not alone, not many people care about college wrestling. For all the clamor we heard in previous threads of how wrestling is such a big sport in New Jersey only 2,800 people bothered to show up at the Wisconsin meet to support a team that was ranked 12th in the nation at the time. The facts don't lie, only a few die hard fans really care about this sport and if the team drops off a bit it will be back at the College Avenue Gym in front of a couple hundred people on a good night. By the way, this is the current coach's 9th season and all he has produced is two 8th place NCAA finalists and college wrestling isn't about dual meets, it is about how you do at Nationals and under the current regime we have done next to nothing.

Here is an idea, let's move the money from this dying sport to a growing collegiate sport like hockey. Just a thought.

Ignorant and ridiculous. The one sport we are good at and you want to disband it.

Oh and "nobody cares about hockey Boomer."

 

[Leonard23]

No doubt these are some great student athletes, but you are not alone, not many people care about college wrestling. For all the clamor we heard in previous threads of how wrestling is such a big sport in New Jersey only 2,800 people bothered to show up at the Wisconsin meet to support a team that was ranked 12th in the nation at the time. The facts don't lie, only a few die hard fans really care about this sport and if the team drops off a bit it will be back at the College Avenue Gym in front of a couple hundred people on a good night. By the way, this is the current coach's 9th season and all he has produced is two 8th place NCAA finalists and college wrestling isn't about dual meets, it is about how you do at Nationals and under the current regime we have done next to nothing.

Here is an idea, let's move the money from this dying sport to a growing collegiate sport like hockey. Just a thought.

You're clueless. Goodale has worked miracles without being fully funded. He didn't have all 9.9 schollies funded with in state NJ tuition until recently, maybe 2 or 3 years ago, & we don't fully fund for OOS schollies so we've been at a huge disadvantage recruiting. Wrestling is about a tenth of the cost of hockey & hockey isn't making $. Our "fans" are stupid.

 

[Abro1975]

40,000 wrestling fans flock to Atlantic City for the 3 day NJ State Wrestling championships. Wrestling is the 2nd biggest revenue sport for the NJSIAA behind Football. Ahead of Basketball.

Only 10 schollies and low overhead , the only equipment is a singlet and head gear.

 

[lighty]

I wouldn't take money from wrestling for hockey but people are crazy if they think RU hockey couldn't be a money maker

 

[Abro1975]

I wouldn't take money from wrestling for hockey but people are crazy if they think RU hockey couldn't be a money maker

NJ can barely support the Devils, they're going to support hockey? An extremely expensive sport at that ? I like hockey, but your claim is way off base.

 

[Leonard23]

I wouldn't take money from wrestling for hockey but people are crazy if they think RU hockey couldn't be a money maker

Nah, you're the crazy one. TTFP hockey made a little under $1M: http://onwardstate.com/2015/02/17/penn-state-hockey-becomes-universitys-third-profitable-sport/. We wouldn't have close to the fan support or donations & would lose $.

 

[Racpack]

Rutgers will beat 4 or 5 Big Ten teams in its second year in the league. If football could do that in the SEC, it would be on the front page of the papers every week. What has occurred with wrestling in two years in the Big Ten is unbelievable and would not have been expected by any knowledgeable analyst. Remember just 8 years ago wrestling was on the chopping block at Rutgers. Let's support a program that has a challenging but great future.

 

[RUforlife]

40,000 wrestling fans flock to Atlantic City for the 3 day NJ State Wrestling championships. Wrestling is the 2nd biggest revenue sport for the NJSIAA behind Football. Ahead of Basketball.

Only 10 schollies and low overhead , the only equipment is a singlet and head gear.

Great, where were all of those fans on Friday? Nobody cares about college wrestling. You can't argue with the facts, only 2,800 showed up. Citing HS wrestling attendance is ridiculous, when we actually have hard figures on how many are showing up at the RAC for a 12th ranked team. This isn't high school!!

 

[PSU_Nut]

Nah, you're the crazy one. TTFP hockey made a little under $1M: http://onwardstate.com/2015/02/17/penn-state-hockey-becomes-universitys-third-profitable-sport/. We wouldn't have close to the fan support or donations & would lose $.

That shows you how hard it is to break even let alone make a profit. The only reason why Penn State was able to do it is they an arena completely paid for and another $22 million in scholarship endowment donations.

 

[PSU_Nut]

No doubt these are some great student athletes, but you are not alone, not many people care about college wrestling. For all the clamor we heard in previous threads of how wrestling is such a big sport in New Jersey only 2,800 people bothered to show up at the Wisconsin meet to support a team that was ranked 12th in the nation at the time. The facts don't lie, only a few die hard fans really care about this sport and if the team drops off a bit it will be back at the College Avenue Gym in front of a couple hundred people on a good night. By the way, this is the current coach's 9th season and all he has produced is two 8th place NCAA finalists and college wrestling isn't about dual meets, it is about how you do at Nationals and under the current regime we have done next to nothing.

Here is an idea, let's move the money from this dying sport to a growing collegiate sport like hockey. Just a thought.

You do realize 2,800 is more than half of what hockey schools averaged last year?

 

[Saint Puppy]

Going to my first one today against Michigan - hopefully we like it, as bball has become beyond frustrating.

 

[lighty]

I'm not betting on hockey fans from the Devils. I'm pretty sure Rangers and Flyer fans would pack the arena. And there are far more of them than Devil fans.

Plus you have the Big Ten angle to look at. If you haven't noticed, MSG has been offering college hockey the past few years - Mostly Big Ten and Ivy action.

I'd bet the Big Ten would love to have more action in the NYC metro market and the alums would certainly like seeing their team in the area.

 

[PIN2WIN624]

Great, where were all of those fans on Friday? Nobody cares about college wrestling. You can't argue with the facts, only 2,800 showed up. Citing HS wrestling attendance is ridiculous, when we actually have hard figures on how many are showing up at the RAC for a 12th ranked team. This isn't high school!!

You realize Friday was a make-up date from the snow....so I would not expect as many fans. Rutgers ranked #6 in attendance in the NATION last year and will be in the top 10 again this season. And yes let's get rid of one of the few sports in which we are good.

 

[jreinsdorf]

You realize Friday was a make-up date from the snow....so I would not expect as many fans. Rutgers ranked #6 in attendance in the NATION last year and will be in the top 10 again this season. And yes let's get rid of one of the few sports in which we are good.

^^^This^^^. Congrats RUforlife. You are the clear runner up for stupid post of the week. But don`t fret because you are a distant second behind "Was B1G admission worth it?"

 

[PSU_Nut]

I'm not betting on hockey fans from the Devils. I'm pretty sure Rangers and Flyer fans would pack the arena. And there are far more of them than Devil fans.

Plus you have the Big Ten angle to look at. If you haven't noticed, MSG has been offering college hockey the past few years - Mostly Big Ten and Ivy action.

I'd bet the Big Ten would love to have more action in the NYC metro market and the alums would certainly like seeing their team in the area.

Rangers and Flyers fans are not going to flock to college just like Yankees, Mets and Phillies fans don't fill up Rutgers baseball games. College hockey is looked at much like college baseball is by pro fans. It a lower level even below the minors. They are not just going to show up. The majority are going to be people affiliated with the university already like alumni. If you went to the MSG hockey games you will see most of the fans at the games are fans of either school. Very few just came because it was a college hockey game.

 

[rufeelinit]

The individual supporting hockey at that expense of wrestling should give it up quickly. Its not going well.

 

[Bleed_Scarlet]

I am going to my first match today and I am looking forward to it

My son started wrestling a few months ago and it has done a world of good for him. You can refer to it however you want, but it is a great team atmosphere and a huge confidence builder for a kid who needed it. It is also a sport where everybody gets a chance and nobody has to ride the pine (at least at the youth levels).


If others put their kids into a few wrestling classes, I'm sure they would see similar results - it's not about smelly armpits.

And I'm taking him today to show him what is possible if he sticks with it

 

[DHajekRC84]

I'm not betting on hockey fans from the Devils. I'm pretty sure Rangers and Flyer fans would pack the arena. And there are far more of them than Devil fans.

Plus you have the Big Ten angle to look at. If you haven't noticed, MSG has been offering college hockey the past few years - Mostly Big Ten and Ivy action.

I'd bet the Big Ten would love to have more action in the NYC metro market and the alums would certainly like seeing their team in the area.

I would think so too and IF we had the cash I would think it a great addition to the program. But we don't. However if I were RU I'd take it t the league to fund for a few years like the special consideration they give other schools? If the B1G wants it they could/should help fund it and get it off the ground.

 

[RUforlife]

^^^This^^^. Congrats RUforlife. You are the clear runner up for stupid post of the week. But don`t fret because you are a distant second behind "Was B1G admission worth it?"

Nope, not going to let the few wrestling fans get away with spreading the lie that sports fans care about college wrestling except except about 5 or 6 fan bases in the entire country. It is a dying collegiate sport. We need to be focused on football and basketball and if you want to invest in a sport that is growing look to college hockey. Below is the top ten total and average attendance #s for college wrestling last year. That is the top ten, below that it gets down to next to nothing. And if you look at those #s, even in the top 10, it is really only Penn State and Iowa and that goes for road meets as well, unless you are one of those two programs or playing one of those two programs, nobody, and I mean nobody cares. Plus, these wrestling fanatics now have their own board, they don't need to constantly come over here and try and sell people on their niche sport. I don't see the women's gymnastics team over here. The facts don't lie, it is a dying sport at the collegiate level, no ifs, ands, or buts.

2014-15 Average Attendance

Team Average Total High Opponent
Iowa 8,358 55,390 11,882 Iowa State
Penn State 7,747 54,221 15,967 Iowa
Minnesota 4,947 29,681 13,620 Iowa
Ohio State 4,387 26,321 6,558 Penn State
Oklahoma State 3,002 21,103 4,691 Penn State
Rutgers 2,697 18,877 6,071 Penn State
Iowa State 2,369 14,216 2,929 N. Iowa
Northern Iowa 1,946 9,729 2,100 Virginia Tech
Pittsburgh 1,751 12,256 7,103 Penn State
Cornell 1,566 9,394 3,274 Oklahoma

 

[LetsGoRUwrestling]

The NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held at a sold out Madison Square Garden in March over 3 days. Every bout will be covered by ESPN. Keep telling yourself nobody cares about College Wrestling!

Let's Go RU!

 

[tico brown]

OK... You sold me on going to a match. Too bad its the end of the season and its too late for me to go to the Michigan Meet because I'm at work. Next and last match vs Drexel at College Ave on 2/19. Might check that out if its not sold out and maybe go to some matches next season.

 

[bac2therac]

RUforlife is embarrassing himself big time with his stupidity

 

[tico brown]

Have no dog in this fight. But with UFC/MMA getting more popular, you would think that it would be wise to get into wrestling since that's half of MMA. Plus people still think "wrestling" as WWE and don't go to real matches, which is cool from what I've seen on TV and live HS meets recently. This might be a good thing for casual fans like myself to get into, esp at this price.