When the new Ralph was announced...

[JESUS,family,rutgers]

I know this isn't Fighting Sioux related,but today I feel like North Dakota fans must have felt when the new arena was announced. What a day here in New Jersey for Rutgers fans--you guys have no idea the crazy politics we had to fight here to get an expanded/refurbished stadium that is already sold-out before construction has started. Here are some pictures and info. for those interested---www.scarletknights.com/stadium/index.html.-- Tried a link,but just could not get it to work right.

[MplsBison]

Looks good!

I wouldn't be surprised if Rutgers is added to the Big 10 to increase the BTN's NYC presence.

Any word on a new bball arena?

[dakotadan]

http://www.scarletknights.com/stadium/index.html

[JESUS,family,rutgers]

Dakotadan--thanks for fixing the link.

MplsBison--There has been talk about a new arena for ten years and I expect about ten more years of talk unless we pack the arena for every game like we do for football. As for the Big Ten, I just can't see us sending baseball teams from New Jersey to Iowa, gymnastics to Indiana, soccer to Minnesota etc. However, the clock is ticking on the 16 school Big East. In about five years, the league will split into two leagues. One will have the Division 1 football schools--Rutgers, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Connecticut, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Syracuse, and Louisville. The other league will keep the smaller,private schools that do not have Division1 football--Providence, Saint John's, Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, De Paul, Marquette, and Notre Dame(who is not interested in a football conference).

[MplsBison]

And no doubt the new football conference will be looking for the 2-4 best non BCS football programs to add to make a championship game like the hated rivals ACC.

Probably Central Florida to give South Florida a travel partner.

So you wouldn't be keen on sending teams to Iowa and Minnesota but sending them to Louisville and South Florida is ok?

[JESUS,family,rutgers]

MplsBison,

I am not crazy about sending all the sports teams to Louisville and Tampa,but there are limited options for Division 1 colleges in the Northeast. When Boston College left for the ACC, there was no Division 1 college in the Northeast to pick up with the exception of the University of Buffalo who has just started a Division 1 program in an area with almost no football talent and a very questionable future. The one advantage most of the Big East teams have is that they are near major airports which makes access to and from the games for the athletes easier. Off the top of my head, I would assume that Indiana,Purdue,Iowa,Illinois, Michigan ,Michigan State, and Wisconsin are not near major city airports. The only Big Ten school I have been to,Penn State, is right in the middle of the state hours away from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Minnesota,Northwestern, and Ohio State have large airports nearby.

[MplsBison]

What about UConn, isn't that in the NE?

Also, isn' UMass thinking about moving up as well?

[JESUS,family,rutgers]

Connecticut has been in the Big East for all sports(except ice hockey) for several years. Massachusetts talked about going Division 1 in football a few years ago,but the state legislature was not interested. Their stadium isn't as big as some high schools so right off the bat they would need $100 million for a stadium. On the plus side, they do have the fairly new Mullins Center for basketball and hockey.

[MplsBison]

UMass has a 17k seat stadium:

How many high schools have 17k stadiums?

The minimum average attendance over a 2 year period is 15k to be in FBS. So they already have a big enough stadium to meet the minimum requirement.

[coach daddy]

UMass has a 17k seat stadium:

How many high schools have 17k stadiums?

The minimum average attendance over a 2 year period is 15k to be in FBS. So they already have a big enough stadium to meet the minimum requirement.

Now that you are telling Rutgers and UMass how to run their athletic departments, will you leave us alone? Both of those schools need you way more than we do.