Rutgers cashing in on TV appearances
Thursday, November 09, 2006
BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN
Star-Ledger Staff

For years, Rutgers football struggled with the supposed handicap of playing in the nation's biggest sports and media market.

With so many pro teams and so many other events clamoring for sports fans' attention, there was simply no way Rutgers could break through the clutter, the thinking went.


Now, with Rutgers 8-0, that supposed handicap is playing to Rutgers' advantage as the networks scramble to show the Scarlet Knights to gain viewers in the New Jersey-New York market.

Tonight's showdown with Louisville will mark the Scarlet Knights' fifth national appearance on a major network. The season opener agaisnt North Carolina was a regional game on ABC, and College Sports Television broadcast Scarlet Knights 34-0 win against Navy. ESPN, already scheduled to show Rutgers-West Virginia on Dec. 2, announced tuesday it also will air Rutgers-Cincinnati on Nov. 18.

ESPN has not made a decision regarding the Rutgers-Syracuse game on Nov. 25, but with so many potential viewers, another national game is hardly out of the question.

The television exposure translates into a significant boost in revenue for Rutgers, which receives about $90,000 each time it appears on national television.

Last year Rutgers collected about $300,000 from regular-season television revenue. Athletic director Bob Mulcahy said this year's number should surpass $900,000.

"And what is the value of all that television time in terms of publicity and exposure for the university?" Mulcahy said. "It's immeasurable."

And all due to the market.

After all, there is another surprise 8-0 team in the country, but no one is knocking down the doors of Boise State to televise their games nationally each week.



Matthew Futterman can be reached at mfutterman@

Great article cuseroc :clap2:

panite Wrote:Great article cuseroc :clap2:

If you like reading about the other BE schools, you should checkout the Syracuse Scout board. We have a guy there who goes by the name Orange eyes. He somehow, someway gets alot of stories to post about the other BE programs. I dont know how he does it or where he finds the time, but he puts up alot of awesome articles, and not always just about the BE.

cuseroc Wrote:

panite Wrote:Great article cuseroc :clap2:

If you like reading about the other BE schools, you should checkout the Syracuse Scout board. We have a guy there who goes by the name Orange eyes. He somehow, someway gets alot of stories to post about the other BE programs. I dont know how he does it or where he finds the time, but he puts up alot of awesome articles, and not always just about the BE.

That's sweet. He is like UCONN Scout board's Husky Nan, except she no longer is posting anything anymore. I have not read Cuse's board in a while cause all the negativity against the BE. I am glad there are now some positive posters. UCONN vs. Cuse will be a great Toilet Bowl game for both schools :)

Is $90K all you get for being broadcasted nationally? Is that standard? If so, I can understand why many teams prefer to set up patsies at home rather than schedule competative non-conference games. Sure, the TV exposure is good, but a home game can generate millions of dollars for teams with large stadiums.

"Tonight's showdown with Louisville will mark the Scarlet Knights' fifth national appearance on a major network."


How can this be? Did Rutgers play five time against ND?

Read in USA-Today, Empire state building lights are scralet tonite for game