In the mold of great business minds -- like MC Hammer and Jack Whittaker -- Rutgers continues to comically ramble down the path of stadium expansion. Here's a brief timeline:
- Rutgers, based off its eventual "turning of the corner" in football, approves massive stadium expansion that will add over 10,000 seats, as well as new locker rooms, suites, and lounges.
- Construction cost increases and overruns greatly threaten project, especially daunting considering New Jersey's massive budget shortfall.
- Construction starts anyway. Leaders quoted, "what the hell, let's do this!"
- Rutgers football continues to turn corner. Leaders quoted, "this is the longest corner ever."
- Costs continue to soar, putting half-built project in doubt. Some additions, like expensive lounges, are temporarily cancelled.
- Project must be completed, as ticket revenues are needed to pay off already built sections.
- Ticket sales, because it's still Rutgers football, are substantially lagging. Leaders quoted, "Shit, why didn't anyone tell us this was for Rutgers."
So, that's where we stand. Rutgers has embarked on a massive building project for which they lacked the money and ticket revenue to pay for it. Basically, as a program, they're the 24 year old graduated college student without a job living well above his means. Eventually, parents stop giving money and you end up working at Starbucks.
When will Rutgers realize that it's Rutgers. This isn't some sleeping giant, as the program has been made out to be so many times in the past few years. It has no history of success or fan support. Why would that start now?