OT: Comcast to drop Big 10 network

[HooperScooper]

Is there any area of the country that cares about Rutgers athletics? I have plenty of friends in NJ, all of who love sports, and none of them care about Rutgers. I always thought it was a flawed premise on why the B1G added Rutgers. I hope that decision comes back to hurt the B1G.

 

[RoderickSpode]

In my experience living in the NY/NJ area, Rutgers has lukewarm support among alumni and pretty much zero interest among everyone else.

I don’t get the sense that unaffiliated NJ residents identify with Rutgers on any level. Seton Hall probably has more of those types of fans, and that’s without P5 presence or a football team.

 

[NJHusky]

Exactly right....I'm from NJ and no one I know cares about Rutty...unless they went there. But there are a lot of TV's in NJ and that translates to a lot of fees for the conf....As soon as cable companies give folks the option of which channels they will pay for...the B1G will have 5000 subscribers in NJ instead of the 2 million they have now

 

[Mano]

This seems like real big news, no? Anything that hastens the implosion of the inflated value of these networks has to be a good thing. The minute these conferences get honest and realize that worthless schools that don’t draw eyeballs are a drag on everyone’s revenues might be the moment where they start looking to trim the fat. Cue UConn. Plz. Hopefully... prolly not tho

 

[CL82]

Is there any area of the country that cares about Rutgers athletics? I have plenty of friends in NJ, all of who love sports, and none of them care about Rutgers. I always thought it was a flawed premise on why the B1G added Rutgers. I hope that decision comes back to hurt the B1G.

In my experience living in the NY/NJ area, Rutgers has lukewarm support among alumni and pretty much zero interest among everyone else. I don’t get the sense that unaffiliated NJ residents identify with Rutgers on any level. Seton Hall probably has more of those types of fans, and that’s without P5 presence or a football team.

Exactly right....I'm from NJ and no one I know cares about Rutty...unless they went there. But there are a lot of TV's in NJ and that translates to a lot of fees for the conf....As soon as cable companies give folks the option of which channels they will pay for...the B1G will have 5000 subscribers in NJ instead of the 2 million they have now

I used to lead this chorus, but I do think that being in the Big 10 has upped the interest on Rutgers considerably. Before seeing RU gear or flags was a rarity, now they exist. Still in my neighborhood, I know more UConn fans than RU fans.

FWIW RU's Big Ten invite had less to do fan support and more to do with the 9M people in NJ and it's presence in the NYC DMA, and a little about being AAU and contiguous. It wasn't great for competition, so B1G fans don't like it, but it made sense financially so univ. presidents did... and last I looked there the ones with the vote.

 

[Chuck]

I used to lead this chorus, but I do think that being in the Big 10 has upped the interest on Rutgers considerably. Before seeing RU gear or flags was a rarity, now they exist. Still in my neighborhood, I know more UConn fans than RU fans.

FWIW RU's Big Ten invite had less to do fan support and more to do with the 9M people in NJ and it's presence in the NYC DMA, and a little about being AAU and contiguous. It wasn't great for competition, so B1G fans don't like it, but it made sense financially so univ. presidents did... and last I looked there the ones with the vote.

Do you live in Central NJ? I've lived in Northern NJ most of my life (Passaic then Bergen). When I grew up (80s), I didn't know any Rutgers fans, even people who had kids there. That changed a bit with the success that Schiano had. You actually had true alum fans, and some non-alums that at least followed the team(s). That has pretty much died in my small town, but I agree that you can still see some car stickers around. Lacrosse has made a bit of progress with our lacrosse kids. I do know some RU fans in Central NJ though. It's so easy for them to get to games and the B1G affiliation means good opponents. But they say pork roll instead of taylor ham, so they're weird.

Your other point I agree with. I don't think the B1G cares if RU is ever good at anything. I have pride in my state, but a winning RU doesn't give you NYC anymore than a winning UConn does. The difference is the NYC DMA and the millions that live in NJ within and outside that DMA. I also agree that when tv stations become more a la carte, the B1G channel will suffer in NY/NJ. It is a worthless channel unless you are into volleyball and gymnastics.

 

[Towney007]

Huh. Imagine that. People not from B1G schools/areas having no interest in the B1G. That's... wow.

I mean what's next? You're going to tell me that OBVIOUSLY the college TV sports bubble is going to burst or something?

 

[Towney007]

If I'm being shortchanged anything living here in Massachusetts - it's not having Nebraska games on whenever I want them.

 

[CL82]

Do you live in Central NJ? ... I do know some RU fans in Central NJ though. .... But they say pork roll instead of taylor ham, so they're weird.

Lol. I live in North Jersey. Still not a ton of obvious RU fans, but at least you see stuff around now.

 

[Storrs South]

So much for Rutgers selling NY and NJ to the Big. UCONN would have sold more packages in CT and New England.