Tag: Rutgers Athletics

Big Ten Conference Announces U.S. Integrity Partnership

Availability reports are coming to the Big Ten.

During the 2023 football season, the Big Ten will be cracking down on sports betting. On Friday, the conference announced that it was partnering with U.S. Integrity to start “a gameday student-athlete availability report for all football competition.”

The partnership will also provide educational resources to help prevent student-athletes, coaches, and staff from engaging in sports betting.

According to the Big Ten’s release on Friday, USI will now partner with the Big Ten to provide availability reports for student-athlete participation:

“Big Ten institutions are responsible for submitting gameday availability reports prior to every contest this season. Information will be submitted by schools no later than two hours before scheduled kickoff times to the conference.”

The conference will then disseminate the information via various channels.

USI is one of the leading companies in its field and provides the highest level of protection. The company’s mission is to grow the legal, regulated sports betting market by offering solutions that ensure betting integrity in every sport. That is key for the Big Ten, which consists of 350 teams in 42 different sports.

“The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions, are of paramount importance,” said Petitti in a statement.

“Enhanced transparency through availability reporting and partnering with U.S. Integrity strengthens our efforts to protect those who participate in our games as well as the integrity of the games themselves. I’m grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators.”

Additionally, USI works with some of the U.S.’s largest professional sports leagues and collegiate conferences. The company is based in Las Vegas and New York. The announcement comes with the fall sports season just getting started.

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Hollin Pierce ready to lead the Rutgers offensive line

Hollin Pierce is developing and taking another step forward.

Over the last two years, Hollin Pierce has been a consistent presence on the Rutgers offensive line. In that span, the Trenton native has made 24 starts after beginning his college career as a walk-on. Now, he will be tasked with leading the Rutgers O-line, as his play has earned him national recognition.

Earlier this week, Pierce was named to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List. For the talented junior, it was another example of how his hard work has paid off. In 2022, he was a candidate for the Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the most outstanding football player who began their career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.

During his time at Rutgers, Pierce has been successful due to his hard work. He has lost over 130 pounds from high school and molded his body into one that is a force against the best college athletes in football. That dedication has also translated to the classroom.

“I mean one thing you know (that the) coaches always emphasize to us is grades, ” Pierce told Rutgers Wire this August. “Football is obviously a priority but grades always come first, and I realized coming from a prep school and stuff. – college is going to be challenging. But you know, you got to put the time in in the classroom just like you do on the field.”

With many faces from last year’s team returning, the Scarlet Knights will look to build on their success. That will start with the offense and the play of Pierce.

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Rutgers athletics hires Reed Zak to lead NIL

Reed Zak is an addition to Rutgers football on the NIL side.

Thursday marked an exciting day for Rutgers athletics as they look to grow their brand. The Scarlet Knights announced that Reed Zak will serve as General Manager for NIL. He will oversee the department’s efforts in name, image and likeness opportunities for its student-athletes.

Zak joins the Scarlet Knights after two years as sales manager with REVELxp. He oversaw hospitality sales at Colorado State, Arizona State and Air Force home football games. During his tenure, Zak set records at CSU and ASU with the most tailgate packages sold in a single season. For the New Jersey native, this is also a homecoming.

While part of Zak’s new role will be growing the Rutgers brand outside of New Jersey, that is only part of his new role. He will also be tasked with increasing awareness among business leaders in the New Jersey community. Many in Piscataway, including Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, are looking forward to the impact Zak will have.

“As a New Jersey native, it’s an honor and privilege for me to work alongside Rutgers Athletics,” Zak told Rutgers Athletics. “The tri-state region offers abundant NIL opportunities for Scarlet Knight student-athletes, and the entire Rutgers team acknowledges the advantage this provides in maintaining competitiveness within the Big Ten.”

 

” We are delighted to welcome Reed aboard,” said Hobbs. “He is part of our continuing efforts to ensure that our student-athletes have every opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness. ”

With Zak on board, Rutgers is in good hands.

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Rutgers football fan fest set for August 20

For Rutgers football fans August 20th is a day to mark on the calendar

With the summer winding down, the start of college football season is getting closer by the day. On August 20, football fever returns to Piscataway when Rutgers football hosts their fan fest on Bush campus. The event will occur from 5 to 7 p.m. in front of the Rodkin Academic Success Center.

As fans get in the football spirit, they will have the opportunity to meet the team during the autograph session, presented by Knights of the Raritan. New Jersey’s best food trucks will also attend, serving sandwiches, wings, ice cream and more.

Additionally, there will be free carnival games and a photo booth to cover all the unforgettable moments of the event. A day full of sports doesn’t end there as Rutgers women’s soccer host Hofstra at 7 p.m. that night. Admission for that game will be free.

After the event, fans can circle Sep. 3 on their calendars. That is when the Scarlet Knights will open their season against Northwestern at SHI Stadium. It is the first time they will ever begin a season against a Big Ten team since joining the conference. Rutgers will enjoy the comforts of home for their first three games before going on the road.

While football fans have waited months for the return of football, the fanfest marks that the wait is soon coming to an end.

Rutgers Women’s Swimming & Diving adds two-time All-American to coaching staff

Two-time All-American Kevin Steel will be the new assistant coach for Rutgers swimming and diving.

As Rutgers women’s swimming and diving looks to build on their success, they added to their coaching staff on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights announced that former two-time All-American Kevin Steel will be the new assistant coach. Steel brings an impressive resume to Piscataway, and his addition is already creating excitement.

“I feel blessed to have someone of Kevin’s coaching pedigree believe in what we are doing here at Rutgers,” head coach Jon Macoll told Rutgers athletics. “He’s a Jersey guy coming home from coaching at the University of Virginia and a former swimmer at the University of Arizona. I believe Kevin will have an immediate and positive impact on our women here at Rutgers.”

Steel will start his career as a Scarlet Knight after spending last season as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Virginia. During his only year in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers won their third-consecutive NCAA title. Before that, Steel was a volunteer assistant swim coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Kenyon College.

While Steel has had an impressive coaching career, he rewrote the record books as a college athlete. The New Jersey native was on the 2013 USA World Championship team and twice broke the U.S. Open 50 breaststroke record. He also earned second place in the 100 breaststroke at the 2013 NCAA championships.

The University of Arizona graduate will bring his experience to a program that recorded its highest Big Ten Championship point total in 2023. The Scarlet Knights also reached the Big Ten podium six times.

Although the future was already bright for Rutgers Women’s Swimming & Diving, success has followed Steel everywhere he’s been, with Piscataway the next stop.

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Rutgers continues it’s dominance at the U23 World Rowing Championships

Rutgers had a great showing at the U23 Rowing World Championships.

Rutgers fans have plenty to celebrate with the U23 World Championships in the books. The Scarlet Knights were represented by Victoria Greider and Hannah Heideveld, who left Bulgaria with gold. For the Scarlet Knights, it was a continuation of dominance.

Rutgers has now had representation and a medalist at the U23 World Championships every year dating back to 2018. This was the second consecutive year they had two world champions. Over the last five years, Scarlet Knights athletes have won six gold medals.

That list of athletes includes Sarah Johanek, Ella Toa, and Femke Paulis. Heidevel and Greider followed in their footsteps by playing crucial roles in the United States women’s eight.

After getting off to a quick lead in the final on Saturday afternoon, the U.S. was dead even with Germany as the crews passed the 500-meter mark. However, that’s precisely where the U.S. wanted them. With the help of Heidevel and Greider, the U.S. was able to retake the lead by the midway point of the race.

When the final whistle blew, the U.S. was in first after holding off Germany and Canada. For Heidevel and Greider, it was a moment of glory years in the making. They now return to Rutgers with another award added to their impressive list of accolades.

Rutgers women’s basketball top five non-conference games

What are the five most interesting out-of-conference games for Rutgers women’s basketball?

On Thursday, the offseason for Rutgers women’s basketball reached a significant milestone. The Scarlet Knights released their non-conference schedule, which features plenty of exciting matchups. After finishing the 2022-2023 campaign with a 12-20 record Rutgers will be looking to rebound, starting with non-conference play.

The farthest trip of the season comes at the end of November when the Scarlet Knights travel to Las Vegas for the South Point Shootout. During their stop in Sin City, Rutgers is set to play two games before returning to the east coast. The times and matchups for that tournament will be announced later at a later date.

While the start of the season is still months away, Rutgers has not wasted any time making changes. Over the offseason, they upgraded their coaching staff with the additions of Nneka Enemkpali and Jeanine Wasielewski. They should help Rutgers improve upon last season and will be tested in five games in particular.

Scroll down and check out the five most interesting game the Scarlet Knights will play this season for their out-of-conference schedule.

Hannah Heideveld proving to be key piece for Rutgers women’s rowing

Hannah Heidevel is showcasing well for Rutgers rowing.

Over the last few weeks, Hannah Heideveld has given Rutgers plenty of reasons to celebrate. On Sunday, the Netherlands native was named to the Pocock All-America Team for the 2023 season. This season, she was also named an All-American for the second time in her collegiate career.

The talented junior is part of the Rutgers Varsity 8, which placed 14th in the nation at the 2023 NCAA Championships. They also finished second in the C final on the final day of the national regatta. Due to her performance, Heideveld earned her second consecutive All-Big Ten First Team honor this spring.

Additionally, Heideveld is the twelfth Rutgers athlete to earn the Pocock All-America honor under head coach Justin Price. Eleven of those have come in the past four years. However, for Heideveld, her success does not stop there.

She was also awarded the 2023 Competitive Excellence Award at the Rutgers Chancellor-Provost’s Student Leadership Awards Gala. Her focus now shifts to the global stage as Heideveld will represent Team USA at the U23 World Rowing Championships from July 19-23.

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While Heideveld’s Rutgers career is far from over, her impact has been on full display this season. She has added to an impressive list of accolades and helped take the Rutgers rowing program to new heights. As the Scarlet Knights have won four consecutive NCAA Championships, Heideveld has been key to their success and still has a few chapters left to write in her story at Piscataway.

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Rutgers men’s golf announces 2023-2024 schedule

Rutgers men’s golf now knows their fall schedule.

Rutgers golf fans can finally start marking their calendars following the release of the 2023-2024 schedule. The Scarlet Knights will begin its season with the Gopher Invitational at Windsong Golf Club in Independence, Minnesota, on Sept. 10-11. That is only the start of their tour of the country.

After their trip to the Twin Cities, Rutgers will travel to Chicago to participate in the Highlands Invitational hosted by Wake Forest (Sept. 18-19), followed by the Fighting Irish Classic at the Warren Golf Course in South Bend, hosted by Notre Dame (Oct. 1-2). The Scarlet Knights will then travel to Tennessee to compete in the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate Invitational hosted by East Tennessee State at the Blackthorn Club.

Following the end of the fall, Rutgers will continue traveling the world in the spring, starting with the Palmas Del Mar Collegiate hosted by UNC Greensboro in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Feb. 11-13). Following a 12-day break, the Scarlet Knights will head to Georgia for the Invitational at The Ford.

 

In March, Rutgers continues their tour of the south. That includes a stop in South Carolina for the Colleton River Collegiate Invitational hosted by Michigan State (March 4-5). The Scarlet Knights will finish their March schedule in St. Simons Island, GA (March 11-12) for the Johnnie-O Tournament.

To close out the 2022-2023 campaign, Rutgers will head to Columbia, Missouri, from April 8-9 for Missouri’s Tiger Collegiate Invitational. With the regular season in the books, Rutgers will shift its focus to postseason play. The Big Ten Championship will be held at the Scioto Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, from April 26-28.

 

Rutgers wrestling reveals Big Ten opponents for 2023-2024 campaign

The Rutgers wrestling schedule has been announced.

With fall approaching, the start of the wrestling season is getting closer by the day. For Rutgers, the expectations are high, and fans can finally start marking their calendars after the Big Ten released announced its opponent rotation for the 2023-24 season.

After finishing No. 22 in the country last season, Rutgers is set to face eight conference opponents, including home matchups against Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, and Ohio State. The Scarlet Knights will go on the road to face Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and Purdue. Their focus will be on repeating their recent success.

Last year Rutgers recorded their tenth top-25 finish under head coach Scott Goodale. For the second straight season, the Scarlet Knights produced seven NCAA qualifiers. On a weekly basis, Jersey Mike’s Arena was the place to be as Rutgers finished fifth in attendance.

Over the offseason, Rutgers has continued adding talent as they look to rise to the top of the wrestling world. The new faces include Jacob Butler, Mitch Moore, and Yaraslau Slavikouski. Moore and Slavikouski bring valuable experience after competing at last year’s championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Slavikouski advanced to the Round of 12 at heavyweight for Harvard.

During the 2022-2023 campaign, Rutgers wrestling should provide plenty of unforgettable moments once the first whistle blows. They have become one of the best programs in the country, and that should only continue.

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