Bad weather suppressed the expected large turn out on Election Day 98 years ago to see Foster Sanford's Rutgers play Irving Pray's LSU. It's impact was felt for the rest of the school year.
November 7, 1922
Rutgers 25 LSU 0
Polo Grounds ( IV ) New York, NY Attendance: 5,000
According to the January 20, 1923 New York Times, “Rutgers ended the 1922 season with a net profit in football of $69.16, due to the misfortunes of the Election Day game with LSU…. It cost $7,070 to bring LSU north and gate receipts of only $3,055 were taken in at the Polo Grounds. Rutgers largest profit was on the Lafayette game (a record for Neilson Field on November 11), which netted $4,174…. . Usually football turns over a profit of $5,000 and this has largely carried along swimming, track and baseball - basketball being practically self-supporting.”
The January 23, 1923 New York Times said Rutgers baseball season was jeopardized by the 1922 football deficit. “At the chapel meeting of 400 students comprising more than half of the student body subscribed an average of $3 each for a total of $1,200, regardless of the fact that all had already paid an annual membership subscription of $15, a rate regarded as high. There is already in sight large and small subscriptions from many alumni which will bring the donations above the sum of $3,500 which is needed before the decision can be made at the meeting of Feb. 10 to continue the Spring athletic program… Scores of letters from old graduates have poured in with renewed expressions of support but the informal resolutions of the students are interesting.
A bulletin headed ‘Will Rutgers Fight’ read as follows: ‘We run our athletics at lower cost than other colleges of our class, our coaches work for very small salaries, and we are not extravagant in the matter of schedules or equipment. In order to do this, we each pay $15 per year dues, a sum that comes hard to many of us, and a larger fee than that paid at other colleges of our kind. Nevertheless, if it is a question of cancelling a sport schedule, not only depriving the students of the sport, but putting Rutgers in a humiliating position before other institutions, we will fight. No one shall truly say that Rutgers is a piker college. We will fight $1,200 worth. We do not know where we will get the money, but here are our pledge cards payable at the college treasurer’s office before Feb. 1.’”
Was the spring season saved? On April 21, Rutgers baseball team defeated Ursinus 7-5 in the season opener with six runs in the ninth inning.
November 7, 1922
Rutgers 25 LSU 0
Polo Grounds ( IV ) New York, NY Attendance: 5,000
According to the January 20, 1923 New York Times, “Rutgers ended the 1922 season with a net profit in football of $69.16, due to the misfortunes of the Election Day game with LSU…. It cost $7,070 to bring LSU north and gate receipts of only $3,055 were taken in at the Polo Grounds. Rutgers largest profit was on the Lafayette game (a record for Neilson Field on November 11), which netted $4,174…. . Usually football turns over a profit of $5,000 and this has largely carried along swimming, track and baseball - basketball being practically self-supporting.”
The January 23, 1923 New York Times said Rutgers baseball season was jeopardized by the 1922 football deficit. “At the chapel meeting of 400 students comprising more than half of the student body subscribed an average of $3 each for a total of $1,200, regardless of the fact that all had already paid an annual membership subscription of $15, a rate regarded as high. There is already in sight large and small subscriptions from many alumni which will bring the donations above the sum of $3,500 which is needed before the decision can be made at the meeting of Feb. 10 to continue the Spring athletic program… Scores of letters from old graduates have poured in with renewed expressions of support but the informal resolutions of the students are interesting.
A bulletin headed ‘Will Rutgers Fight’ read as follows: ‘We run our athletics at lower cost than other colleges of our class, our coaches work for very small salaries, and we are not extravagant in the matter of schedules or equipment. In order to do this, we each pay $15 per year dues, a sum that comes hard to many of us, and a larger fee than that paid at other colleges of our kind. Nevertheless, if it is a question of cancelling a sport schedule, not only depriving the students of the sport, but putting Rutgers in a humiliating position before other institutions, we will fight. No one shall truly say that Rutgers is a piker college. We will fight $1,200 worth. We do not know where we will get the money, but here are our pledge cards payable at the college treasurer’s office before Feb. 1.’”
Was the spring season saved? On April 21, Rutgers baseball team defeated Ursinus 7-5 in the season opener with six runs in the ninth inning.
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