Rutgers to Pay $11.5 Million Exit Fee

[OhioBrownFan]

Adding Rutgers to the B10 virtually guarantees that the B10 network will be on every cable package in NJ and the NYC metro area. Plus, they get to bring the B10 teams to the NYC metro area for 5 home games per season.

I understand that obviously, I just don't get what they're adding outside that. Nada basically.

I agree. When I worked in NYC, Syracuse seemed to have a bigger fanbase.

But, there is a method to their madness in adding MD and Rutgers -> NYC, Baltimore, and DC markets. Even if the home teams are weak, they take their good product (OSU, MSU, Michigan, PSU) to a huge audience.

Btw - I am hoping that Hart will eventually be able to sell that strategy to the SEC or P12. Larry Brown is helping our case. June is not.

Syracuse is the much bigger fan base. I could tell you that by looking at a few tickets and who travels in the tourney. Tourney travel is a great way to see who's got the fan bases, at least that care about bball. The one year out in Phoenix, I was at the West regional and there was Louisville, MSU, Florida and Marquette. If not for MSU and Louisville, there wouldn't have been 5K at those games. Louisville and MSU literally filled the entire stadium, it was nuts. The number of people that stuck around for Florida and Marquette in the later game was maybe 1/2 the stadium and a 1/4 of those fans were holdovers from the Louisville/MSU game. Florida travels a little bit, Marquette nothing, especially compared to the other two. Cuse fans travel in masses.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

I get the whole NY/NJ TV market thing. For that reason alone Rutgers is a good get for the Big-10. But having watched Rutgers football and basketball this year, I would have to say that they are woefully unprepared for membership in a P-5 conference. Neither revenue program is anywhere close to where it needs to be to compete in the Big-10. Even considering the struggles of Big-10 football recently, Rutgers is clearly a notch or two below.

Nice arguments to make to ACC. I long ago decided not to invest emotional capital in SMU's realignment prospects. Its too stressful. But the ACC would be great.

[OhioBrownFan]

I get the whole NY/NJ TV market thing. For that reason alone Rutgers is a good get for the Big-10. But having watched Rutgers football and basketball this year, I would have to say that they are woefully unprepared for membership in a P-5 conference. Neither revenue program is anywhere close to where it needs to be to compete in the Big-10. Even considering the struggles of Big-10 football recently, Rutgers is clearly a notch or two below.

Nice arguments to make to ACC. I long ago decided not to invest emotional capital in SMU's realignment prospects. Its too stressful. But the ACC would be great.

On top of everything else, surprisingly the B10 is full of big research departments, huge endowments for the programs. Rutgers academics aren't even on Penn State or Nebraska level. It really is a head-scratcher for everything except the TV market. I can only imagine Delaney sitting in his office licking his chops at the spreadsheet numbers because it's the only reason.

[PoconoPony]

Rutgers has historically generated no interest in NY or NJ. Prior to Schiano pumping some life into the football program it was arguably the worst program in NCAA history having never been to a bowl game. Without Schiano the program is slowly sinking back to its old self. They got rocked with 12 de-commitments for 2014. The basketball program has never been very good other than one good team in the 70s. It has never generated any interest even with Rutgers students or alums. Rutgers in the Big 10 is a real puzzlement athletically. NYC people are pro sports oriented with Syracuse and Notre Dame ( Boston College to a very limited degree ) the only colleges that gets any media notice. St. Johns, Seton Hall and Rutgers generated almost no media or interest. The Big 10 network will only generate interest only from existing B10 alums who reside in the area and that base is established and will not appreciably increase with Rutgers in the B10.

You can almost make a strong argument that the Rutgers alums are very much like the lost generation of SMU alums after the death penalty. They have never seen any athletic success and have very few historical loyal fans and booster members.

[Digetydog]

Rutgers has historically generated no interest in NY or NJ. Prior to Schiano pumping some life into the football program it was arguably the worst program in NCAA history having never been to a bowl game. Without Schiano the program is slowly sinking back to its old self. They got rocked with 12 de-commitments for 2014. The basketball program has never been very good other than one good team in the 70s. It has never generated any interest even with Rutgers students or alums. Rutgers in the Big 10 is a real puzzlement athletically. NYC people are pro sports oriented with Syracuse and Notre Dame ( Boston College to a very limited degree ) the only colleges that gets any media notice. St. Johns, Seton Hall and Rutgers generated almost no media or interest. The Big 10 network will only generate interest only from existing B10 alums who reside in the area and that base is established and will not appreciably increase with Rutgers in the B10.

You can almost make a strong argument that the Rutgers alums are very much like the lost generation of SMU alums after the death penalty. They have never seen any athletic success and have very few historical loyal fans and booster members.

When I was in law school, one of my professors (who was from NJ) was giving a lecture on school admissions. He pointed out that there were students at UT who had picked it over Harvard. In the South, West, and Midwest, state "flagship" schools are an important source of pride.

He said "nobody in NJ dreams of going to Rutgers." During my 14 years living in the
Northeast, I have met 1 Rutgers fan (an alum).

[Big12Mustang]

Rutgers has historically generated no interest in NY or NJ. Prior to Schiano pumping some life into the football program it was arguably the worst program in NCAA history having never been to a bowl game. Without Schiano the program is slowly sinking back to its old self. They got rocked with 12 de-commitments for 2014. The basketball program has never been very good other than one good team in the 70s. It has never generated any interest even with Rutgers students or alums. Rutgers in the Big 10 is a real puzzlement athletically. NYC people are pro sports oriented with Syracuse and Notre Dame ( Boston College to a very limited degree ) the only colleges that gets any media notice. St. Johns, Seton Hall and Rutgers generated almost no media or interest. The Big 10 network will only generate interest only from existing B10 alums who reside in the area and that base is established and will not appreciably increase with Rutgers in the B10.

You can almost make a strong argument that the Rutgers alums are very much like the lost generation of SMU alums after the death penalty. They have never seen any athletic success and have very few historical loyal fans and booster members.

When I was in law school, one of my professors (who was from NJ) was giving a lecture on school admissions. He pointed out that there were students at UT who had picked it over Harvard. In the South, West, and Midwest, state "flagship" schools are an important source of pride.

He said "nobody in NJ dreams of going to Rutgers." During my 14 years living in the
Northeast, I have met 1 Rutgers fan (an alum).

I can understand people might say we don't have a fanbase...all discredited these last few weeks with MBB success...our fanbase is dormant, give them elite basketball and elite football and I will guarantee SMU can stand up to any Big 12 school in terms of "value".