Speculation: Rutgers Hockey Making Jump to D1?

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Apparently Rutgers is trying to go from club status to D1 Varsity. Hopefully this went down. Would be pretty sweet.

Given the sad state of Rutgers' overall athletic catalogue, it's not hard to imagine a world in which it's the most popular sport at the school behind football -- much like what's happened at Penn State, where hockey has quickly become a revenue leader. Money is definitely something Rutgers is concerned about after cutting six sports back in 2006, and the potential to add a hockey team that could boost the athletic department's bottom line does matter.

Another issue with adding a sport could be Title IX compliance, but that's typically not an issue with ice hockey because schools tend to simply add a women's hockey team at the same time.

So given all of this, alumni of Rutgers' club hockey program have started a petition to demonstrate the support a Division 1 team would have. They've picked up a little more than 1,900 signatures so far, with a goal of 2,500, in less than a week.

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/20...ockey-division-1-ncaa-program-scarlet-knights

Click to read more...

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

A lot of kids in this area (New York, New Jersey, & Pennsylvania) head elsewhere specifically the OHL. They got a lot of work to do like Penn State in putting a dent into those pipeline's.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Yeah I don't think they expect to be a title contender any time soon, but it would be great for the university and the area to have a D-1 team for which to cheer.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Yeah I don't think they expect to be a title contender any time soon, but it would be great for the university and the area to have a D-1 team for which to cheer.

Well Penn State was pretty good this previous year but they had an older roster so it's possible for them to compete.

Both programs are likely gonna have to go through some rough years & wait for an older roster so they can compete with some of the other teams who have more talent on the roster but might be inexperienced until they build up a brand name if they ever do of course.

 

[GKJ]

The Philadelphia area is criminally underserved when it comes to college hockey. For there to be no local D-I program is ridiculous.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Rutgers a hockey school? Just doesn't sound right.

 

[4thline4life]

Since I just moved like 20 mins from Rutgers, I'm behind this. I think it would be great for the big 10 in hockey as well. I could see it working, maybe not contenders but with the Titans out of the picture, there's an untapped market imo in central jersey. Youth hockey around here is big too.

 

[4thline4life]

The Philadelphia area is criminally underserved when it comes to college hockey. For there to be no local D-I program is ridiculous.

Princeton but they are terrible every year.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Rutgers a hockey school? Just doesn't sound right.

Alabama doesn't sound like a hockey school either, but they were in the Frozen Four a couple years back. There's a lot of good hockey in NJ and it is getting bigger (at least where I live). Plus, as the best university in the history of America, it would only make sense for them to have a hockey team. I mean, you know they invented Cheeze Whiz at the Nabisco labs at Rutgers, right?

 

[FLYguy3911]

Alabama doesn't sound like a hockey school either, but they were in the Frozen Four a couple years back. There's a lot of good hockey in NJ and it is getting bigger (at least where I live). Plus, as the best university in the history of America, it would only make sense for them to have a hockey team. I mean, you know they invented Cheeze Whiz at the Nabisco labs at Rutgers, right?

UAH hockey has been around for years. NJ has some good hockey, but the good kids are going to play in the CHL or a bigger school and they will get older Canadian players to fill out their roster.

I'll rephrase my original post. Rutgers just isn't an athletic school.

 

[GKJ]

Princeton but they are terrible every year.

Not Philadelphia-enough. I'm talking about one of the Big 5 schools. Penn would be the one most inclined to do it, I believe.

 

[Davegarri]

Alabama doesn't sound like a hockey school either, but they were in the Frozen Four a couple years back. There's a lot of good hockey in NJ and it is getting bigger (at least where I live). Plus, as the best university in the history of America, it would only make sense for them to have a hockey team. I mean, you know they invented Cheeze Whiz at the Nabisco labs at Rutgers, right?

Without that whiz I would have no reason to go to Philly anymore! Cheesesteaks just aren't the same without it..

But I do hope Rutgers starts a D1 program. It'd be cool to see. I would definitely go to some games. But it'd definitely make me wish the Devils built their arena in New Brunswick even more than I already do.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

UAH hockey has been around for years. NJ has some good hockey, but the good kids are going to play in the CHL or a bigger school and they will get older Canadian players to fill out their roster.

I'll rephrase my original post. Rutgers just isn't an athletic school.

Don't even, bro. It is the Birthplace of College Football. They are the 1949 National Fencing Champions. DEAL WITH IT.

 

[TheLegendkiller]

Alabama doesn't sound like a hockey school either, but they were in the Frozen Four a couple years back. There's a lot of good hockey in NJ and it is getting bigger (at least where I live). Plus, as the best university in the history of America, it would only make sense for them to have a hockey team. I mean, you know they invented Cheeze Whiz at the Nabisco labs at Rutgers, right?

Their B10 football debut against PSU just made them look like a bunch of *******s. Student body included. I didn't have any opinion on Rutgers until then and now I'm like "**** that place".

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Their B10 football debut against PSU just made them look like a bunch of *******s. Student body included. I didn't have any opinion on Rutgers until then and now I'm like "**** that place".

Haha, come on. I was at that game. When what happened at Penn State happens...people are going to give you ****. I guarantee Rutgers wasn't the first and won't be the last. I don't even think the AD should have apologized.

 

[TheLegendkiller]

Haha, come on. I was at that game. When what happened at Penn State happens...people are going to give you ****. I guarantee Rutgers wasn't the first and won't be the last. I don't even think the AD should have apologized.

They were the first to do it on a scale like that, that's why the guy apologized. Their "**** ped state" chant was super audible on TV. The B10 doesn't really attack each other that viciously. I've talked to fans from other B10 and yeah they give me a little **** about it, but at Rutgers it was like blood thirsty. It just made the school look bad.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

They were the first to do it on a scale like that, that's why the guy apologized. Their "**** ped state" chant was super audible on TV. The B10 doesn't really attack each other that viciously. I've talked to fans from other B10 and yeah they give me a little **** about it, but at Rutgers it was like blood thirsty. It just made the school look bad.

A little revisionist history? I was at the game, don't remember hearing that at all so if it was happening it couldn't have been all that loud and I don't remember the AD apologizing for that. There were isolated incidents of fans wearing shirts that referenced "Ped State" and signs with the same, and of course people were going at it in the parking lots, but this wasn't some crazy pitchfork wielding mob. I don't remember Ohio State's AD issuing an apology when they wore shirts that said "I'd rather shower at Penn State than cheer for Michigan" two years or so before Rutgers did it.

EDIT: Here's the apology. No mention of chants:

On behalf of Rutgers University and the Athletic Department, we would like to apologize for the regrettable actions of a handful of Rutgers fans on Saturday that do not convey the message of good, competitive spirit that we look forward to having with our new Big Ten rival Penn State University.

Some of the signage and t-shirts that we have been made aware of were both inappropriate and offensive.

I have spoken with and apologized to the Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour and I would like to apologize equally to the Penn State University fans, as well as Rutgers fans that were subjected to this classless display that does not represent the ethos of our university, athletic department or fan base.

The two inappropriate pictures that appeared briefly on our Facebook page as part of a 200-picture montage were immediately removed when we were alerted to their content.

It is unfortunate that the actions of a few spoiled an otherwise historic and recording-setting night that Rutgers fans provided for our first Big Ten football game.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...-penn-state-for-inappropriate-offensive-fans/

The photo in that article doesn't even show a shirt that says "**** Ped State." Just says "Beat Ped State."

 

[TheLegendkiller]

A little revisionist history? I was at the game, don't remember hearing that at all so if it was happening it couldn't have been all that loud and I don't remember the AD apologizing for that. There were isolated incidents of fans wearing shirts that referenced "Ped State" and signs with the same, and of course people were going at it in the parking lots, but this wasn't some crazy pitchfork wielding mob. I don't remember Ohio State's AD issuing an apology when they wore shirts that said "I'd rather shower at Penn State than cheer for Michigan" two years or so before Rutgers did it.

EDIT: Here's the apology. No mention of chants:



http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...-penn-state-for-inappropriate-offensive-fans/

The photo in that article doesn't even show a shirt that says "**** Ped State." Just says "Beat Ped State."

I don't know, I remember it. I think its on YouTube or something.

EDIT: Can't find it. I'll have to search it after work. But i remember being pissed watching that game unfold.

 

[Flyotes]

I have strong ties to Rutgers. They would have at least one supporter here.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I don't know, I remember it. I think its on YouTube or something.

EDIT: Can't find it. I'll have to search it after work. But i remember being pissed watching that game unfold.

You can't find it because it didn't happen. There were definitely shirts, definitely flags, and definitely things being yelled both inside and outside the stadium. There was not, at any time, a chant of "**** Ped State" that was so loud you could hear it on TV. If anything, there was perhaps a "**** PENN State" chant that went around the stadium, but the "Ped" state thing was so minimal that most people didn't even know about the shirts or signs until after the game people were complaining about it (in fact, I just got back from lunch with a friend of mine that was at the game with me and he didn't even know about the reference to "ped" state).

Again, there were definitely signs, shirts, and things yelled. No doubt about it, and I don't think an apology was necessary. But there was a not a stadium-wide "**** Ped State" chant so loud that it could be heard on TV.

EDIT: I mean come on, there would be no way, even if every person in the stadium was chanting at the same time, that you cold differentiate "Penn" from "Ped" state.

 

[TheLegendkiller]

You can't find it because it didn't happen. There were definitely shirts, definitely flags, and definitely things being yelled both inside and outside the stadium. There was not, at any time, a chant of "**** Ped State" that was so loud you could hear it on TV. If anything, there was perhaps a "**** PENN State" chant that went around the stadium, but the "Ped" state thing was so minimal that most people didn't even know about the shirts or signs until after the game people were complaining about it (in fact, I just got back from lunch with a friend of mine that was at the game with me and he didn't even know about the reference to "ped" state).

Again, there were definitely signs, shirts, and things yelled. No doubt about it, and I don't think an apology was necessary. But there was a not a stadium-wide "**** Ped State" chant so loud that it could be heard on TV.

EDIT: I mean come on, there would be no way, even if every person in the stadium was chanting at the same time, that you cold differentiate "Penn" from "Ped" state.

It was a **** something chant. But even that made that place look like a clown show.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

It was a **** something chant. But even that made that place look like a clown show.

Haha. Chants like that happen everywhere (OMG, even at Flyers games!). Get over it. It doesn't make the school or the fans look like anything but fans. And I'm sure PSU fans wouldn't ever do anything like that.

The only thing that made Rutgers look bad that night was their football team.

 

[CutOnDime97]

The only thing that made Rutgers look bad that night was their football team.

Their Quarterback***

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Their Quarterback***

I've never been happier to see a player leave Rutgers.