Tag: Rutgers Athletics

Report: The Big Ten could have a commissioner in place by May?

The Big Ten’s search for a commissioner could be over by May.

The Big Ten could have a commissioner in place by Memorial Day, at least according to one of the conference’s most visible athletic directors.

In a podcast interview this week, Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs said that the search committee for the commissioner role has been formed by the Big Ten. And that the search firm hired by the Big Ten to vet candidates is making progress.

The Big Ten is looking to replace Kevin Warren, who left the Big Ten to become the president and CEO of the Chicago Bears. Warren oversaw a period of strong growth for the Big Ten, including the expansion of the conference to include (soon-to-be) members in UCLA and USC.

In speaking with The Knight Report Podcast, Hobbs gave an update on the Big Ten’s search.

“They’re going to try to do this as quietly as possible. My understanding is that there is great interest in the position, not surprisingly,” Hobbs told The Knight Report.

“They have received a lot of resumes from a wide sort of range of backgrounds. Some college, some not college. I haven’t seen those resumes, we won’t see those resumes.

“We’re kept up to date on where the search is. I think there is a confidence that they will conclude the search sometime before the end of May, I think that’s really the goal. I think that’s a doable goal.

“There’s not a lot of people who can be Big Ten commissioner, in my view. This is not sort of inside information from the committee.”

The Knight Report is an affiliate of Rivals.

 

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Warren served four years as the commissioner of the conference before joining the Bears in January of 2023. The Bears have been among the most active teams in NFL free agency.

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A week in review of Rutgers Athletics as Tournament play begins

As the fall season winds down, last week was full of memorable moments for Rutgers Athletics

With the 2022-2023 college basketball campaign in full swing, the fall athletics season is coming to a close. For Rutgers fans, there is still plenty to look forwards to as the tournament play begins and the seniors look to end their college careers on a high note.

While most sports are winding down, the Rutgers football team still has three games left. However, this past week was a forgettable one for the Scarlet Knights, who welcomed Michigan to Piscataway. Gavin Wimsett threw three interceptions, and the Rutgers defense had no answer for Michigan.

On the soccer pitch, men’s soccer was a bright spot with a win in their first game of the Big Ten tournament play. They will be looking to continue their playoff run this week when they take on Ohio State. They are not the only team to keep an eye on, as Women’s soccer has their first game of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

Check out what is going on with fall sports around Rutgers!

Off and running: Rutgers latest track and field commit Bryce Tucker talks decision

Bryce Tucker breaks down his decision to join the Rutgers track and field program.

Bryce Tucker, one of the top track athletes in New Jersey committed to Rutgers two weeks ago, giving a program that is on the up yet another formidable weapon.

A class of 2023 athlete, Tucker’s decision to join the Rutgers track and field program is a big announcement for the Scarlet Knights. Tucker is a nationally ranked sprinter and hurdler.

He will be competing in both sprints and hurdles when he arrives at Rutgers.

Last year, Tucker captured the Meet of Champions in the 400 hurdles. It was a time that, according to NJ Advanced Media, put him among the top five in the nation.

“I made the decision for Rutgers University because that school just clicked for me the moment I took my official visit,” Tucker told RutgersWire.

“I have close contacts and feel comfortable with the coaching staff. The team welcomed me with open arms. I knew from then on that Rutgers was the school for me!”

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The Scarlet Knights are continuing to gain momentum in the Big Ten. They are set for their fourth season under director Bobby Farrell.

“The Rutgers track program is going in the right direction and I’m excited to be joining them,” Tucker said.

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How did Rutgers’ Olympic sports do ahead of Big Ten Tournament play?

For Rutgers fall athletics this past week was full of memorable performances and the start of Big Ten tournament play.

For the majority of Rutgers fall athletics, this past week represented an end to the regular season. For the seniors, that means one last run as they look to end their careers on a high note. The past few days were full of highlights and memorable finishes as each team prepared for the next step of their season.

Men’s soccer finished the regular season with a loss, and women’s soccer lost in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. However, field hockey was a bright spot with a dominated Sunday afternoon against James Madison.

It was a tough week for Rutgers football as they traveled to Minnesota and could not get the offense going. However, they still have four games left this season and the chance to finish above .500.

With Big Ten tournament play in full swing and the NCAA tournament only weeks away for some, check out what is going on with fall sports around Rutgers!

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How did the Rutgers Olympic sports do this week?

The second week of October was full of mixed results for Rutgers athletics.

For Rutgers Athletics, this past week included wins and highlight reel plays. That isn’t a bad combination smack dab in the middle of Big Ten action.

While football had the week off, every other fall sport was still in action. Volleyball continued to struggle, but men’s and women’s soccer were both able to record a win.

Heading into mid-October, men’s soccer is sixth in the Big Ten, but they only trail fifth-place Penn State by one game. However, for women’s soccer, they are still in the top ten nationally. If the fall season were to end today, they would be the third-best team in the Big Ten.

Field hockey continued to be a bright spot, and Sophia Howard made her case for save of the year. As October marches on, however, wins are at a premium with playoffs on the horizon. For the Scarlet Knights, it was another productive week for fall athletics.

Check out what is going on with fall sports around Rutgers!

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How did Rutgers athletics due this week?

Rutgers athletics had a big week with some strong performances.

For Rutgers Athletics, the Big Ten season is now in full swing.

Wins are at a premium with the playoffs on the horizon.

This past week, women’s soccer continued their impressive start with a win over Indiana that included a stellar effort from Megan McClelland. The Men’s team was able to force a tie in a matchup with Indiana that saw little offense past the opening thirty minutes,

On the gridiron Rutgers fell short in front of a sold-out stadium at SHI Stadium. While the Scarlet Knights lost their third straight game, there were a few career performances in a matchup against Nebraska that went down to the wire.

As Rutgers athletics continued to battle it out in October, Women’s Soccer and Men’s soccer continued to rise in the Big Ten standings.

Check out what is going on with fall sports around Rutgers!

A week in review of Rutgers Athletics as September winds down

With September winding down, Rutgers athletics was looking to end the month on a high note. But with fall sports now in full swing, the start of the Big Ten schedule for all Rutgers teams means that the competition level was ratcheted up …

With September winding down, Rutgers athletics was looking to end the month on a high note. But with fall sports now in full swing, the start of the Big Ten schedule for all Rutgers teams means that the competition level was ratcheted up considerably.

As such, Rutgers athletic teams suffered some setbacks, even as they maintain a still strong position nationally.

Football, for instance, got their first loss of the season but is halfway towards the needed win total for bowl eligibility.

Field hockey and women’s soccer continue to be ranked and the men’s soccer team had some solid wins last week.

Check out what is going on with fall sports around Rutgers!

Eight Rutgers female athletes sign NIL deal with New Brunswick Development Corporation

Eight Rutgers female student-athletes forge a historic NIL deal with the New Brunswick Development Corporation.

In celebration of Title IX, eight Rutgers female athletes have inked Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals. The announcement of the deals came via the Knights of the Raritan.

The Knights of the Raritan is a (relatively) new collective that partnered with Student Athlete Empowerment (SAE) to promote and foster opportunities for Rutgers student-athletes. The group is led by an executive committee of 10 individuals.

The eight athletes who are part of the deal with the New Brunswick Development Corporation represent five different sports:

  • Antonia Bates (basketball)
  • Ashley Campo (lacrosse)
  • Carly Snarksi (field hockey)
  • Kayla Bock (softball)
  • Lauren Delo (volleyball)
  • Megan Herka (softball)
  • Sara Carolonza (lacrosse)
  • Sophia Cardello (lacrosse)

The New Brunswick Development Corporation has done NIL deals in the past with the Melton brothers to help promote the local businesses in and around the Rutgers campus as well as the downtown area.

 

This year, the group struck a similar deal with quarterback Gavin Wimsatt.

 

The development corporation has had a strong impact on the local area as, under the leadership of Christopher Paladino, “DEVCO has overseen nearly $1.6 billion of investment in New Brunswick.”

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College expansion: Alexi Lalas says that the Big Ten conference needs to rebrand, needs a new name

After adding UCLA and USC last week, Alexi Lalas says the conference needs to rebrand.

As one of the most famous alumni of Rutgers, Alexi Lalas has an opinion on the expansion of the Big Ten to include UCLA and USC. Chief among those thoughts? Changing the name of the Big Ten now that it will soon be at 16 teams.

Lalas has an opinion on most things, but that is beside the point.

Last week, UCLA and USC were added to the Big Ten, expanding the leaders and legends to now have a West Coast footprint. A rather significant footprint at that. The addition of the two Los Angeles colleges helps the Big Ten further expand in both football and basketball while adding a vitally important media market.

A former men’s soccer player at Rutgers, Lalas went on to do alright after four years on the banks. He played for the United States national team, including starring in the 1994 World Cup. After that, he became the first American to ever play in Italy’s famed Serie A, then returned in 1996 to MLS where he became an All-Star and one of the faces of the then-emerging league.

He made 96 appearances with the United States national team, scoring 10 goals.

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Now an analyst with FoxSports, Lalas weighed in on the Big Ten expansion in his recent podcast, intertwining some humor into the process.

“Number one, we’re talking about the Big Ten, right? The Big Ten has not been the Big Ten for a long time, okay? And this certainly only makes it that much bigger. So it’s not 10 and it’s never going to be 10 going forward. So first off, a rebrand is in order. All right, call it the ‘Big League’ or whatever you want to call it. I like the ‘Big thing.’ I think you can do something with that, but stop with the numbers, right? Now because it’s just getting absurd,” Lalas said on the ‘State of the Union’ podcast this week.

“As far as the footprint out there…I come at it from I want to see great teams play. I come in and maybe from to use the soccer world- from a Super League perspective and these are…they don’t like to be called businesses.

“But let’s be honest, when it comes to universities and colleges out there, they are businesses and certainly their athletic programs are businesses in that while they can be nonprofits, there is still a business element in the way that they run. And whether it’s businesses, whether it’s schools, whether it’s human beings, we are all going to do what is beneficial to us. Okay, it doesn’t mean that there’s not you don’t think about others. It doesn’t mean you can’t be charitable, but ultimately, this is good for the likes of UCLA, and USC.”

In terms of soccer, UCLA finished the season 9-6-1 and ranked No. 22.

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Historically, they are one of the best programs in college soccer history. The men’s soccer program has won five NCAA Tournament titles and has made the tournament five times since 2014.

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Report: Rutgers earmarked for massive athletic department funding

Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy earmarked $100 million for Rutgers University athletics in the proposed budget for the state according to reporting from NJ Advance Media

Major funding for improvements to facilities for the Rutgers basketball and football programs are coming soon. Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) earmarked $100 million for Rutgers University athletics in the proposed budget for the state according to reporting from NJ Advance Media.

The money is specifically earmarked to be used for renovating Jersey Mike’s Arena and for the building of a proposed indoor practice facility for football.

Part of the deal in hiring football’s head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] was a commitment toward building an indoor practice facility. While a formal fundraising campaign should be announced soon, receiving some state funding is a major first step. The budget is expected to be passed on Wednesday and signed into law by Murphy on Thursday, per the report.

Also included in the budget is a commitment of $150 million additional to the Rutgers medical schools and $50 million for a research complex to be built in downtown New Brunswick.

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Peter McDonough Jr., the university’s senior vice president for external affairs spoke to Brent Johnson and Ted Sherman about the $300 million dollar investment in the university:

“The investments that the proposed budget makes in Rutgers University will help the state establish its role as a global leader in the innovation economy, will provide several hundred million dollars for aid to students and for making improvements to essential academic facilities in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, and will provide seed money for enhancements to athletics facilities that will be overwhelmingly funded through private donations.”

After Rutgers athletics had a strong 2021-2022 season across the board, Tuesday’s news of the impending funding for the athletic department and the state university as a whole, better days continue to be on the horizon for all Scarlet Knights.

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