Will Generate a Debate Poll

[Upstream]

I'm not sure that I care about Rutgers having the "best athletic department", versus being the best in the sports I care about. I'm okay with being the best in football and being the worst in swimming. But that is only because I watch football, and it is a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch a winning football team than to watch a losing team.

So having the best football program in the B1G would mean a lot better entertainment than what we have now.

As far as being recognized as the best academic program in the B1G, that would mean Rutgers was viewed at above the level of Northwestern. If that happens now, that is a benefit to anyone with a Rutgers diploma because it increases the value of your diploma. If Rutgers is recognized as a top school, you would be seen as going to a top school. Almost no one is going to say, "Rutgers is a top school today, but was just mediocre when you graduated in 1997."

If you didn't go to Rutgers, but live in NJ, having Rutgers recognized as a top academic school is also good for you. Top universities are an economic engine that drive jobs and opportunities. You see that in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. And you see that in the Route One corridor of New Jersey between Princeton and Rutgers.

But that point also supports the observation that Rutgers is already a strong academic institution. I don't know if the movement from where Rutgers is today to Northwestern-level "best in the B1G" is enough movement to significantly move any economic needles.

Conversely, the alternative from the poll, dropping to Nebraska-level worst in the B1G, would probably also not create any significant depression of economic activity. Nebraska might be worst in the B1G, but it is still a pretty good university.

But I think I'd rather take the chance on the better economic benefits that would come with better academic reputation.

I'd also want the better entertainment that comes with winning athletic programs. But if I can't have both, the economic benefits allow me to buy other entertainment options.

 

[Caliknight]

I'm not sure that I care about Rutgers having the "best athletic department", versus being the best in the sports I care about. I'm okay with being the best in football and being the worst in swimming. But that is only because I watch football, and it is a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch a winning football team than to watch a losing team.

So having the best football program in the B1G would mean a lot better entertainment than what we have now.

As far as being recognized as the best academic program in the B1G, that would mean Rutgers was viewed at above the level of Northwestern. If that happens now, that is a benefit to anyone with a Rutgers diploma because it increases the value of your diploma. If Rutgers is recognized as a top school, you would be seen as going to a top school. Almost no one is going to say, "Rutgers is a top school today, but was just mediocre when you graduated in 1997."

If you didn't go to Rutgers, but live in NJ, having Rutgers recognized as a top academic school is also good for you. Top universities are an economic engine that drive jobs and opportunities. You see that in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. And you see that in the Route One corridor of New Jersey between Princeton and Rutgers.

But that point also supports the observation that Rutgers is already a strong academic institution. I don't know if the movement from where Rutgers is today to Northwestern-level "best in the B1G" is enough movement to significantly move any economic needles.

Conversely, the alternative from the poll, dropping to Nebraska-level worst in the B1G, would probably also not create any significant depression of economic activity. Nebraska might be worst in the B1G, but it is still a pretty good university.

But I think I'd rather take the chance on the better economic benefits that would come with better academic reputation.

I'd also want the better entertainment that comes with winning athletic programs. But if I can't have both, the economic benefits allow me to buy other entertainment options.

No school with a great football team isn’t great in many other sports. It’s a winning mindset. It doesn’t stop at football. Schools that win at football want to win at anything that has their name on it. You can’t be great at one thing and not others. The schools that win championships in football also win them in other sports. Winners win.

 

[Upstream]

I'm not sure that I care about Rutgers having the "best athletic department", versus being the best in the sports I care about. I'm okay with being the best in football and being the worst in swimming. But that is only because I watch football, and it is a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch a winning football team than to watch a losing team.

So having the best football program in the B1G would mean a lot better entertainment than what we have now.

As far as being recognized as the best academic program in the B1G, that would mean Rutgers was viewed at above the level of Northwestern. If that happens now, that is a benefit to anyone with a Rutgers diploma because it increases the value of your diploma. If Rutgers is recognized as a top school, you would be seen as going to a top school. Almost no one is going to say, "Rutgers is a top school today, but was just mediocre when you graduated in 1997."

If you didn't go to Rutgers, but live in NJ, having Rutgers recognized as a top academic school is also good for you. Top universities are an economic engine that drive jobs and opportunities. You see that in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. And you see that in the Route One corridor of New Jersey between Princeton and Rutgers.

But that point also supports the observation that Rutgers is already a strong academic institution. I don't know if the movement from where Rutgers is today to Northwestern-level "best in the B1G" is enough movement to significantly move any economic needles.

Conversely, the alternative from the poll, dropping to Nebraska-level worst in the B1G, would probably also not create any significant depression of economic activity. Nebraska might be worst in the B1G, but it is still a pretty good university.

But I think I'd rather take the chance on the better economic benefits that would come with better academic reputation.

I'd also want the better entertainment that comes with winning athletic programs. But if I can't have both, the economic benefits allow me to buy other entertainment options.

I misinterpreted the poll. I falsely assumed the choice was between (a) best in athletics and worst in academics, versus (b) best in academics and worst in athletics.

But the poll only asks what you want best in, without suggesting a degradation of the other. So the choice is really (a) best in athletics and academics stays where it is, versus (b) best in academics and athletics stays where it is.

Right now academics is pretty good. An improvement to best in the B1G would only be marginal. On the other hand, and improvement of athletics to best would be huge.

So my selection would be best in athletics, with academics maintaining the status quo.

 

[RUChet]

I'm not sure that I care about Rutgers having the "best athletic department", versus being the best in the sports I care about. I'm okay with being the best in football and being the worst in swimming. But that is only because I watch football, and it is a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch a winning football team than to watch a losing team.

So having the best football program in the B1G would mean a lot better entertainment than what we have now.

As far as being recognized as the best academic program in the B1G, that would mean Rutgers was viewed at above the level of Northwestern. If that happens now, that is a benefit to anyone with a Rutgers diploma because it increases the value of your diploma. If Rutgers is recognized as a top school, you would be seen as going to a top school. Almost no one is going to say, "Rutgers is a top school today, but was just mediocre when you graduated in 1997."

If you didn't go to Rutgers, but live in NJ, having Rutgers recognized as a top academic school is also good for you. Top universities are an economic engine that drive jobs and opportunities. You see that in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. And you see that in the Route One corridor of New Jersey between Princeton and Rutgers.

But that point also supports the observation that Rutgers is already a strong academic institution. I don't know if the movement from where Rutgers is today to Northwestern-level "best in the B1G" is enough movement to significantly move any economic needles.

Conversely, the alternative from the poll, dropping to Nebraska-level worst in the B1G, would probably also not create any significant depression of economic activity. Nebraska might be worst in the B1G, but it is still a pretty good university.

But I think I'd rather take the chance on the better economic benefits that would come with better academic reputation.

I'd also want the better entertainment that comes with winning athletic programs. But if I can't have both, the economic benefits allow me to buy other entertainment options.

100%!false that RU notching above NW helps every RU grad. This is utter nonsense. Once you have a job (except in education) it doesn’t matter AT ALL what school you went to or if they get better. It only matters to those RU grads looking for their first job and even there, the school you went to is less important than most think. Do well wherever you are, get a good internship or two or three, interview well- those things matter more than the name on the diploma

of course some exceptions where some companies/firms only recruit from the “elite”