I agree with both of you. I would love for us to have long term deals with schools from either the ACC or Big Ten, if possible. Forget Penn State, though, because they've pulled the same stuff in the past as Notre Dame tries all the time. They stopped playing Syracuse almost 20 years ago because they wanted 6 of 10 games at home when SU went 11-0-1 under McPherson. I think the best candidates are schools we recruit against like BC or Maryland from the ACC. From the Big Ten, realistically, how about Wisconsin or Michigan State, whom we've played alot and relatively even (I think 3-3.) Both those schools have a history of recruiting our area, so would probably be interested. Besides, the exposure from playing the Big Ten is unbeatable. Your thoughts?
Well, we already play MD. It would be nice to get another strong team for a series from Big Ten or SEC. Why bother with ACC as they are the only conference that is though of as being worse then the BE and why give the traitors that left us any exposure.
I'm with you Shore. Especially with the BC angle. A lot of fans don't want to play them because of the raid. My thought is the opposite, play them and kick the snot out of them. I'd really like to see some SEC teams come into Piscataway. West Virginia's doing a good job of getting SEC OOC games. Hope it continues. The thing we have in our favor is the TV market. Even with a 56,000 seat stadium, I think we're a good opponent because of the Metropolitan area TV tie in. Other teams are starting to figure that out. I was reading rumors about USC, UCLA, and Texas on other boards.
Schiano has this figured out already. Since we're selling out, there's no need to play these schools for attendance. I think he wants to bring them in when he's got a decent shot of beating them. Hopefully, we'll get closer to that level this year.
It's hard to believe now, but we actually played several SEC schools in the '80s. I'm looking for a long-term deal with somebody really big, though. If Rutgers wants to be on the level of West Virginia as a premier team representing the BE, we have to play name schools. I looked at schools who recruit here, because they have added incentive to play home-and-home series. Tennessee used to recruit NJ heavily when Johnny Majors was the coach there in the late '70s and '80s.
I hate this 1-AA stuff where we win 50-0 and it doesn't mean a thing. BC would be phenomenal if we can do it. I know UConn(ed)- as you say, Graystork, is pushing real hard for BC due to geography. I still think RU should be the 12th Big Ten (11) school anyway, because the school profile is so in line with those schools. (Big State Universities with great academics.) I think the best Big 10 series for us is Wisconsin, because they recruit here and are right on the verge of being an "elite" program
The Big-10? Really? To me that makes zero sense...we are an east coast state, we belong in the Big East. I also think this is the best spot to grow as a program. We have only had 3 years of sucsess, lets grow with a growing conference. That way we aren't lost in the shuffle with the big boys. Also PSU doesnt really fit in with B10 what does that say for RU in that conference?
On a side not i am now DYING to play ND. After going on thier boards and reading what their fans wrote i would LOVE to see Rutgers whoop ND. Im even up for a 1 and done in South Bend, just to see the beating!!!
I had said in an earlier post I would let ND have an extra home game in a series if we got to play ours at Rutgers Stadium. I would love to see us go out there and beat them by 20. WIth respect to the Big 10 statement, years ago there was talk about that. I was making a comparison between schools, and Rutgers is more like the Big 10 schools (academically especially) than many of the schools in the Big East. Regardless of how people have been running down the Big 10 in recent years, it still has prestige and alot of exposure and $$$$$$$$$$$.
Besides, then it could split into East and West divisions and we'd get to play Penn State and Ohio State every year. Doesn't that sound like fun?