I'm not sure when the last time it was when this happened - and it may never have - but. as of today, Rutgers has three teams ranked in the top 25 (albeit, one in a pre-season poll) - Men's and Women's Soccer and Wrestling. Very cool.
RU - Three Ranked Teams
- Thread starter Manhattan
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So here's an all sports question for people. Based on the type of talent around NJ (and the State of Rutgers), and based on the conference we're in, which teams at RU do you think SHOULD be able to be ranked on a near consistent basis if we supported them fully with scholarships and stuff?
The ones we are currently ranked in plus lacrosse, both BBs, and FB.
Football and MBB would be the hardest to be consistent because of the huge revenue advantages that existing powers have, but we also have the advantage of having alot of local talent, if we can tap into it.
Excluding for the moment football and men's basketball.
Lacrosse
Soccer
Baseball
Wrestling
Women's basketball
Crew! There I said it
Football
Soccer (M/W)
Wrestling
Lacrosse (M/W)
Basketball (W)
Volleyball doesn't have the talent coming out of NJ HS's that some Midwest and particularly West Coast schools do, but on a good year.....
The year round baseball played in the South means that Rutgers just doesn't stack up.
If we fully supported everything, I could also see our track programs and field hockey program do pretty well (in addition to the ones listed).
I'm not certain but last year, as the fall sports were winding down with women's soccer ranked, and the winter sports just starting with wrestling and women's bball ranked, we might have had 3 all at once. But regardless, it is still pretty exciting to have it happening now (again). It would be great to see the women's soccer team win tonight at Iowa to finish second (with help) in the conference and then go to defeat Wisconsin (whom it hasn't played) in the finals of the B1G tournament. And the men can wrap up a regular season's team championship, which would be our first, by defeating UMd while having Ohio State tie with Michigan.
Outside of lacrosse, I would say which everyone knows about, wrestling which everyone knows about, and field hockey.
Aren't Jersey chicks really good at field hockey?
I was told by someone high up in the department that lacrosse is tabbed as a place for investment due to the opportunity that exists to be good at it. We will see.
I did notice that the men's team added a DoO role, which they hadn't had in the past. It is paramount to get the full allotment of scholarships at out of state level. Right now we have the full allotment at in state levels, which equates to roughly 4 scholarship players that we don't have. That is a major issue that needs to be resolved.
Aren't Jersey chicks really good at field hockey?
I was told by someone high up in the department that lacrosse is tabbed as a place for investment due to the opportunity that exists to be good at it. We will see.
I did notice that the men's team added a DoO role, which they hadn't had in the past. It is paramount to get the full allotment of scholarships at out of state level. Right now we have the full allotment at in state levels, which equates to roughly 4 scholarship players that we don't have. That is a major issue that needs to be resolved.
If I had my way, not before Men's Swimming returns. Seems like a very B1G sport as compared to Crew.
Love Crew but if we ever return/add something, should be Men's Swimming.
I think that Lacrosse is harder than you think, we are not having the recruiting success in NJ or LI that, I believe was expected. We are struggling and will continue until we begin to win. That is why this year is so important for both lacrosse programs but, especially the men as they are returning 8 of the 9 top scorers so they should put up points, but will they win faceoff's? can they stop the ball? If we fully fund the program I am not convinced that we would get the top kids in NJ, and there are alot of them, but we may be able to get back into LI. The other issue is the lateness of our recruiting, as our competition is recruiting earlier we are not and we are losing out on some of the better NJ kids. I understand the rationale but in the short term it is hurting us.
We may never catch up to the southern teams, but since we have a longer period to play outside than most of the B1G teams, I could see us becoming a top BIG team year in and year out, which should put us in or just outside of the Top 25 on a regular basis.
The new practice facility should help with that.
All but volleyball, tennis, and golf, I'd guess.
Just curious but "why"? Why not the 2 sports - Crew and Fencing - that have had longer histories, and success, at RU? Fencing has won both individual and team national titles. Fencing and Crew have B1G $$$ to support them if brought back to RU, as well, I'm not so sure that swimming does.
Just curious but "why"? Why not the 2 sports - Crew and Fencing - that have had longer histories, and success, at RU? Fencing has won both individual and team national titles. Fencing and Crew have B1G $$$ to support them if brought back to RU, as well, I'm not so sure that swimming does.
Always nice to see news like this even if I'm just a pedestrian fan at best. I've always fully endorsed the support of the Olympic sports and am glad we're seeing more of it now as we try to lift the entire athletic department including the 2 sports that lead the way.
You know there's a practical need for support of the Olympic sports too. Many of the kids who play those sports come from more affluent families and later in life will do well themselves. If you want them to come back and donate to the school and their sport, you can't just completely neglect their passions and the sports they played. You also lose them for any opportunity for cross promotions of sorts in donating to other sports as well. That whale everyone wants could be someone who played golf or soccer or lacrosse etc...Will he/she have any inkling to donate if you just neglect their sport?
It's all interconnected, you want different parts of the department lifting each other and hopefully eventually expand to the school as well.
You know there's a practical need for support of the Olympic sports too. Many of the kids who play those sports come from more affluent families and later in life will do well themselves. If you want them to come back and donate to the school and their sport, you can't just completely neglect their passions and the sports they played. You also lose them for any opportunity for cross promotions of sorts in donating to other sports as well. That whale everyone wants could be someone who played golf or soccer or lacrosse etc...Will he/she have any inkling to donate if you just neglect their sport?
It's all interconnected, you want different parts of the department lifting each other and hopefully eventually expand to the school as well.
Because neither are B1G sports.
Some of the other B1G schools might have either or both but of the three only Men's Swimming is listed as a B1G sport. And If I am going to use B1G $$$ to bring one back, the first one will be a B1G sport.
I would like to see all of them back but Men's Swimming should get the first look.
If they can produce alumni to donate enough, so that both men and women can become fully-funded scholarship-wise (out-of-state tuition...) to become competitive at the top on both sides, then I'd be okay with that ONLY because they already have a great facility, otherwise I would say "show-me-the-money" lol!
That should be the deal going forward with all of the canceled sports. Including Men's Swimming.
But again, out of all of sports for the reasons I already mentioned they should get the first look.
Based on your question here are mine in order of most likely or should be ranked;
1. Women's Soccer
2. Women's Basketball
3. Wrestling
4. Men's Soccer
5. Lacrosse
6. Baseball
Football and Men's Basketball not included:
Both Soccer teams
Both LAX teams
Wrestling
Baseball
Women's Basketball
Women's Gymnastics
Softball (Big Ten only, not nationally)
Maybes:
Field Hockey
All versions of T&F
Women's Swimming and Diving
Rowing
Teams that are unlikely to ever be good:
Volleyball
Golf
Tennis
Cross country
This one really stuck out to me ... you think we should be good in Women's Gymnastics? Just curious where that thought comes from. Is the ODP program in NJ and surrounding areas that good?
This would make sense with the strategy of JH and team have spoken about (beyond FB and BB) They said from the beginning that they would invest first and strategically in teams that they felt they could make a quick impact on, leverage limited dollars, and that we had a natural advantage in due to location, relationships, etc.
Golf, for instance, is one that they talked about targeting because with lesser dollar investment they could have a big impact and it was an area they felt they could become highly competitive in the Big Ten. I haven't heard the latest on golf but last I knew they were looking to build a new practice facility for the teams.
That's not to say that it's easy or cheap to have a big impact on lacrosse but it does seem to be a sport that we can excel in based on region, history,etc. But I admittedly don't know lacrosse very well so I don't know the challenges we face.
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I think the recruiting of NJ Lax players will take off in a few years. The excitement created by the B1G in both LAX and football is having an impact on the kids in middle school and those just entering HS. These kids will grow up going to RU to watch football and LAX played by RU against high level competition. All we need are a few studs and a bunch of other top level players for a few years and then watch this puppy take off.
I try to take two football / lax players (friends of my son) to every home football game whenever we can and we also loaded up the truck a few times last spring to catch RU lax at the stadium. Just need a few of these kids from the top NJ programs (we are Ridge) to catch RU fever and we could have something really special before too long.
Our golf teams are really bad. But, we do have a very nice course which many schools wished they had. But we need a new facility, the current one is high school level (barely). We need to hire more high end staff and fully fund the scholarships to get the best players possible.
But Golf will never make money so it really boils down to if the golf donors really want to see Rutgers Golf become a powerhouse or not.
But Golf will never make money so it really boils down to if the golf donors really want to see Rutgers Golf become a powerhouse or not.
Which is what should be the MO for ALL sports going forward...you want to see success in (insert sport name here), then we're going to need your support Mr./Madam donor.
MCY, I am very familiar with Somerset County Lacrosse and the Ridge program, and what I see is a real struggle in getting the best kids to seriously consider Rutgers but e5fdny is has hit the nail on the head while Rutgers gets almost no one out of Lead Edge, Run by an RU alum, they get a chance with every 2KL kid, run by a pair of RU alums reasonably the 2nd best club team in NJ. we will not get better until some of those LE kids make the choice to go to RU
It can if we're competing with the ones in our own conference which have the same issues.
With the growth of Leading Edge now getting players from non-traditional LAX towns I don't see why that can't happen in the near future.
Brian has his work cut out for him for sure, but the product is getting easier to sell IMO.
First it's about competing in the Big Ten then thinking bigger. It's not about taking on Stanford and Georgia. Plus Illinois can't play year round and they are a top program. Penn State is better than a lot of southern schools. Indoor facilities can level the playing field to a large degree
