Should Rutgers be invited to the ACC? (PART OF A SERIES)

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The Academics
Location: Piscataway/New Brunswick, NJ
Type of School: Public
Total Student Population: 36,041
Undergrads: 28,031
Demographics: 25% Asian; 9% Black; 9% Hispanic; 56% White; 2% International
Sex Ratio: 49% male; 51% female
%age of Natives: 93% are New Jersey residents
Ranking: 66th among Full Research Universities
AVG SAT of admitted kids: 1200
Endowment: $510,078,040

CURRENT CONFERENCES: Big East
Football stadium capacity: 52,454
Men's Basketball capacity: 8,000
Women's Basketball capacity: 8,000
Most notable money sport: Women's Basketball

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is the main state university system in the state of Noo Joyzee. There are three main campuses, in New Brunswick/Piscataway; Newark, and Camden. For our purposes as ACC reps, hypothetically, we will look at the flagship campus in New Brunswick.

Rutgers is in a state where the school which gets most of the attention is Princeton University. But this university holds its own academically and has highly regarded graduate programs in many of the liberal arts subjects, and has a good engineering school and law school among other programs. It should also be noted that Rutgers is one of the nine Colonial Colleges, being founded in 1766 as a Dutch Reformed Church college under the name Queen's College, but it has been public since 1864. Rutgers is also only one of the two colonial colleges to become public later in history, and not be in the Ivy League.
Why Rutgers Should get in the ACC
Rutgers has an elite women's basketball program which would help make the ACC a loaded conference for the sport once you see the Knights face the likes of the elite teams like Duke, UNC, and Maryland along with perennial NCAA teams in Virginia, NC State, Florida State, and Georgia Tech. Second, the football team, long a weak point for the school is now a perennial bowl team so expect Rutgers to help contribute to the ACC's woes there. In men's basketball, they have been pretty bad, save for a few NCAA appearances here and there, though they do have a final four appearance from 1976.

Another advantage to Rutgers is its exposure is not one, but TWO HUGE TV Markets. One is New York City, about 30-35 miles from campus. The other is Philadelphia, which is less than 70 miles away. That can help the ACC get more exposure, especially to Duke alumni and prospective students, because of their representation, not to mention this region is famous (or notorious) for representing many ACC schools in large numbers, even the public schools. New Jersey is known for being that type of state in the higher education world, along with PA.

Why not
Well, Rutgers has no relationships with the ACC schools in any money sports, except maybe women's basketball because Duke and UNC and Maryland are so good. Their biggest rivals tend to be Syracuse, UConn, and Seton Hall is also in Jersey. Again, Rutgers seems to be quite happy with the Big East so what do they have to gain if they joined the ACC that they don't have in the Big East? You can argue the Knights lose out if they join the ACC.

Rutgers alumni
Eddie Jordan (1980) - PG for the 1976 Final Four men's basketball squad; NBA guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and most famous for being a reserve for the Lakers where he won the 1981-82 title; best known as a former Head Coach for the Washington Wizards and is now the Head Coach for the Philadelphia 76'ers

Kristin Davis (1987) - TV Actress, most famous for playing Charlotte Goldenblatt in Sex and the City

Cappie Pondexter (2006) - All American Basketball Player; Three Time WNBA All Star; 2 Time WNBA Champion; 2007 WNBA Finals MVP; Olympic Gold Medalist

Your Take
Rutgers seems like a good fit for the TV market and to make the ACC an even stronger Women's basketball league. Beyond that, it doesn't seem that beneficial to me for both the ACC AND Rutgers

So, how do you think Rutgers would be as an ACC school?

Being a Rutgers fan I'm more interested in this one to see what people say than any other one.

I think it'd be tremendous for Rutgers to join the ACC and I'd love it.

We'd get more of a chance to get national exposure and play in big football games against big teams and would help us recruit better, and keep the best athletes in Jersey. Even Basketball as well it'd do the same. We have a series going against North Carolina in basketball already why not play in the conference against them? Same with football we schedule ACC schools pretty often.

Rutgers football would renew a chance to play Boston College,Miami,and Virginia Tech.

To get more notice and get some bigger wins for our program in football the ACC would be the place. Rutgers basketball will start to improve although bad now. They played decent against the national championship UNC squad last year and have a stud Mike Rosario. Rutgers is doing a good job of keeping good NJ recruits here in state. Rutgers has a better chance of being succesful in ACC basketball than Big East. Miami,and Va Tech each made NCAA tournament appearances in the ACC after being terrible and Big East bottom feeders.

I think this is great for Rutgers to be an ACC school. All 3 of my fave college sports schools would than be in the same conference lol

The ACC would benefit as well strengthening their football conference somewhat and adding a very good academic school with a diverse and large student body.

Not only that but the ACC would get a NYC area market team that could do alot for them.

With this that would allow for big stage ACC Championship Games at the New Meadowlands Stadium too

add David Stern and Queen Latifah to alumni

Well KONJ, I knew you were going to be either very stoked or not stoked that I am considering Rutgers as an ACC school.

We have differing opinions on it, I do agree Rutgers could get a boost in recruiting, especially with all those NYC area ballers if they learned that Rutgers went to the ACC. For football, they just need to keep what they're doing. And in women's basketball, they will contend for a championship every year rather than be 2nd place, since there's one more program above them.

Also, Joe Pa did say that he want the Big Ten to expand AND add RUTGERS!

***

I'm glad that you noticed the alumni I'm putting out for each school. I looked all over the internet for some younger pictures for some of these guys.

Tomorrow, I'll write about the remaining three schools.

I like Rutgers being apart of the Big 10 as well. I think it'd be better than the ACC a slight bit actually if they were to relocate.

Being in the Big 10 it'd help recruiting there since they are already good at recruiting and they can sell getting a chance to play Ohio State,Michigan,and Penn State every year.

Rutgers is already good at recruiting having the #19th ranked class(forgot by which site) the previous year and can only continue to get better. Rutgers is a defensive hard nosed style football school rather than a high powered offensive one and fits the Big 10 style of football well.

As far as basketball is concerned Rutgers men's team will have an easier team maybe sneaking into the NCAA Tournament at some time and getting better rather than getting beaten up in the Big East every night. Rutgers can keep recruits in New Jersey and play the Big 10 tough which is an up and down conference in basketball and maybe have a chance at some good seasons.

In the Big 10 Rutgers can recruit better in football and play against better competition, while in basketball they highly increase their chances at success.

As for the Big 10 with Rutgers. They get a NYC market school and get a 12th team which could allow them to have 2 divisions and an all important money grabbing Conference Championship Game.

It would be a great thing for the Big 10 to have a Big 10 Football Championship Game at the New Meadowlands Stadium which will be able to seat 82,000 and have some huge crowds and publicity being in the New York area

Rutgers should be invited and should accept.
Between the B10 and ACC, the Big East is going to be raided and ruined. Realistically, RU has to look to the B10 or the ACC. The ACC makes much more sense geographically. Traveling all the way to Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to play outdoor sports in such rotten weather makes no sense compared to travel to NC, SC, GA, and FL. Rutgers recruiting will be much better in ACC.

RU grads include four Nobel Laureates: Milton Friedman, Toni Morrison, Heinrich Rohrer, and Selman Waksman.

Oops. I hit "No", meant to hit "Yes". I think Rutgers would be an excellent fit in the ACC.