(01-26-2016 12:15 PM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote: I just don't know why Rutgers just doesn't build a state of the art basketball/hockey arena on campus on par with Value City Arena, PNC Arena, Yum Center, etc. Make it a place to where recruits want to come they can easily get recruits from NY and Philly to play in the Big Ten in a nice new arena. The fans will come once you build it. They have all the money in the world now just do it and make it the best college arena in the Northeast.
There's a lot to do in NYC. RU directly competes against the Yankees, the Islanders, the Rangers, the Devils, the Nets, the Knicks, the Pinstripes, the Red Bulls, the Jets, the Giants, and a whole host of other minor league, minor sport, and/or college teams, like the Mets (ZING!)
Also, there is an unending parade of other regional teams coming from New England, Pennsyltucky, and Upstate.
Throw in yearly curb stompings from teams like Michigan State and Maryland, which will happen whether or not RU upgrades facilities, and Yum! Center-like upgrades are really not an attractive investment for a borderline bankrupt athletic department that's still heavily reliant on student fees.
Unless RU lucks into a good coach that's young and willing to stay if they upgrade facilities, I wouldn't bet on RU becoming a giant in anything other than side sports like fencing and wrestling in the foreseeable future.
RU is a good school with excellent academic opportunities at its disposal. It's better allocating its money to academics than athletics (i.e. increasing student fees is a bad idea).