| I have lived in New Jersey practically all of my life. | | | | ago; the current and future stadiums support two |
| The Garden State has been in fiscal crisis | | | | National Football League teams. There are only so |
| practically all of my academic life and my working | | | | many days that they will allow college football to |
| life. I realized this almost thirty years ago, as a | | | | tear up their field. |
| student taxpayer; the tuition at Rutgers tripled | | | | Two third of Rutgers alumni reside in New Jersey. |
| between from my freshman year to my senior | | | | The current Rutgers Stadium is, if nothing else, in |
| year. | | | | a convenient location for alumni to fill the seats. |
| All that time the campus looked the same, the | | | | The Meadowlands is far less convenient. |
| complaints about the campus were the same. | | | | Rutgers allows 8,000 students to attend games |
| The complaints about traffic, large lecture classes, | | | | free of charge; this is unique in college football. |
| deferred maintenance, and so on, were the same. | | | | After I graduated from Rutgers in 1982, I went |
| I know that the extra tuition I paid didn't end up in | | | | to the University of Illinois, a school that had a |
| the professor's pockets; it was used to make up | | | | Rose Bowl team. I paid $60 a season for my |
| cuts in state aid. Higher education received a | | | | seats - in 1982. That was the same price for a |
| lower priority in a recessionary economy. | | | | young Rutgers alum - in 1994! |
| I didn't like it; I was paid triple the tuition to get | | | | I don't think the Sports and Exposition Authority |
| the same education, but I learned to grit my | | | | will allow Rutgers students to attend games in an |
| teeth and bear it. So did my classmates; the | | | | NFL stadium for free; they didn't thirty years ago. |
| alternatives were less attractive. | | | | Go "down league" as the Rutgers 1000 has |
| I know that extra tuition didn't support the | | | | suggested in the past? |
| football program. In the late 70's, early 80's, the | | | | The opportunity to play for a national |
| team was just starting to play the major football | | | | championship puts "meat in the seats." I sincerely |
| schools. Rutgers had to play the major games on | | | | doubt that Rutgers would reverse direction after |
| the road, or at Giants Stadium (sorry Jet fans) in | | | | receiving three consecutive bowl bids and playing |
| the Meadowlands. Rutgers Stadium was too small | | | | to capacity crowds. |
| to host the major powers on campus. It still is, | | | | Obviously, fans can't count on the quality of play |
| even with twice the seating we had back in our | | | | at season's eve, but expectations for Rutgers |
| student days. | | | | football have risen higher. Optimism breeds |
| I understand the economic arguments against | | | | enthusiasm, which fills the seats. |
| stadium expansion - but Rutgers will not be taking | | | | Who, at Rutgers, in the 21st century, would be |
| the wraps of a new stadium today. Public | | | | excited about a "Championship Subdivision" |
| construction projects have a bid process, a design | | | | schedule, now that the Scarlet Knights have a |
| process, a construction management process. | | | | legitimate shot at something better, something |
| We're talking about a project that won't be | | | | more likely to change the perception of the school |
| completed for two or three years. | | | | for the better? |
| A better economy and a better football team can | | | | Alumni who graduated before me might be |
| pay it off - and what's the alternative? | | | | pleased; they were used to watching their teams |
| Play at the Meadowlands? | | | | play Princeton. |
| That's less possible now than it was thirty years | | | | |