The RAC is not a “hole”. For me, the only people who can complain sit in the 300 level. And where have they been until recently? Yes, I stand in line for the bathroom at halftime. Big deal. Luxury boxes are a detriment to college sports, expanding the ever widening us/them divide. The RAC is an imperfect arena but every game will be sold out this year and the environment will be among the top few in the country. Not bad for a place some people consider a hole or a dump.
Recruiting and more
- Thread starter RU72
- Start date
Trenton is considered the Philly market. I'm hearing the B1G is adamant about RU playing its league games in the NYC metro area. If that's the case, we'll probably see the OOC games in Trenton and the conference games in Newark.
Not sure if it was mentioned in this thread, but TCU played an entire season at a high school facility in 2014-2015.
https://www.frogsowar.com/2015/3/9/8176235/a-farewell-to-wilkerson-greines
https://www.frogsowar.com/2015/3/9/8176235/a-farewell-to-wilkerson-greines
Last edited:
Mike,
The B1G doesn’t understand NJ. And I get their concerns. Still, we are a state university and we'll need to do what we need to do. What you suggest may work. The B1G should be listened to carefully but not have the final say.
L
I think like 20 years ago West Virginia had to play an entire season away from home . Not for a new arena - but for asbestos abatement . So the new RAC seems like a good deal comparing
It’s a great idea, if you don’t need to worry about reality.
Indeed, the WVU Coliseum was closed for the 1999-2000 season for asbestos removal. Home games were played in Charleston, Wheeling, and Fairmont.
Did Northwestern build a new facility or do a full renovation of their basketball arena? I don't recall them being out of their building for a year so maybe that was a new gym.
They played their 2017-18 home games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont near the airport while Welsh-Ryan was being renovated.
I'm a Pennington resident too (mailing address at least) so let me know if you guys ever need a carpool or a ticket.
IIRC when Murphy earmarked the additional $100mm to Rutgers $50mm of that was supposed to be used for the RAC upgrade.
Getting a renovated RAC will be a blessing. Absolutely sucks to play games elsewhere for a year, but that's what needs to happen to get a better Arena.
Most major arena renovations are done over 2-3 years, in phases, to avoid interruption of the season for the major team it houses. I'm sure that it costs a lot more to phase it than doing it all at once. And I'm sure some projects just won't work that way. So I'm reserving judgement. I'm not just assuming this is the way it had to be and that this isn't some bad decisions. I'm not assuming it's a screw up either.
Just hire someone to wipe down the countertops that are always filled with soap and water and that would be a great upgrade.
I think they should play a few games at the barn and put a temporary floor and stands in the bubble. Ha!
It’s definitely gonna cause I’m inconveniences. Im speaking of those that are enraged about not being able to play at home during construction, or not understanding that there’s a valid reason to play away from the RAC.
Could use another blower to dry the hands. I’ll give you that.
They probably would be happy to play at the "Barn" againDon't worry, there will be many experts that don't work in construction or building renovation work AND have not seen the plans who will tell us all how long the work should take on Jersey Mike's AND why it can be done from March to the end of November..
Wow! Forgot about that. Fairmont isn’t far from Motown but the other two sites were a bit of a hike. In that state, there are so many WVU fans that the road show was probably well received. That old contaminated clam shell…
Don't worry, there will be many experts that don't work in construction or building renovation work AND have not seen the plans who will tell us all how long the work should take on Jersey Mike's AND why it can be done from March to the end of November.
We do need the improvements. I will still get to all of our home games at the replacement arena wherever they are. I will take the train to Newark which is easy for me and I will drive to Trenton for the others.
I would imagine Rutgers will sponsor many buses for students to attend games at alternate venues and that the crowd will be less but not less vocal. Much needed improvements to the arena may require some pain/sacrifices from the fans.
I don't like missing a season at the RAC at all, like everyone else, but if we do, I think the above is what we would see and I wouldn't have a big problem with it. What I would have a problem with is if the RAC renovations somehow make the RAC much quieter - I simply don't want to lose that intimidating noise factor at all.
Wheeling? Glad I got that place off my bucket list !
No one wants a season away from the RAC but a renovation is needed. It is what it is. Deal with it
I hope it.doeant start until after Harper bc I do think not playing at the RAC would hurt his recruitment and it could be a special season if we land him
I hope it.doeant start until after Harper bc I do think not playing at the RAC would hurt his recruitment and it could be a special season if we land him
Disagree. No saying students will be flocking by the thousands but saying one bus is ridiculously over the top negative.
Why not do what MSG did instead of the aforementioned colleges? Madison Square Garden's most recent renovation took place mainly over three off-seasons. The renovation was done in phases with the majority of the work done in the summer months to minimize disruptions to the NHL and NBA seasons. Being in the same area, it is apples to apples in terms of construction costs, timeframes, etc.
If they're looking to complete the renovations in one block of time -- despite the likelihood of having to play a season somewhere else -- it's probably because the overall cost of the project would increase significantly by performing the renovations in two stages separated by a year.
It's really indicative of this site that for years, many people complained that no one was upgrading the RAC and then when it appears it's going to happen, people complain about that. I'm going to wait and see how this plays out but if RU has to spend a year in Newark (please) or Trenton... it will work out.
Because MSG is a multi billion operation that can afford to absorb the higher costs of spreading a project out over time. The cost benefit analysis is also completely different for them because they have two pro teams, a college team, and events and concerts all year round.
Says 1/2 mile. Easy to have a shuttle bus service to and fro…
Would need just one bus making constant trips. Two buses would make it very convenient (Rutgers could even use their own buses maybe). I can’t vouch for the neighborhood.
27 mins may have been an Amtrak train. It’s actually 36 to 38 mins when I looked again.
Last edited:
It’s at least $14 round trip via the train when I last checked. How many college students spending that kind of cash in this situation?