The Birthplace of College Football

By Michele Blandino

Never mind that the football team has been historically bad, no, make that terrible (although the RU faithful firmly believe that a breakout season is on the way); Rutgers Stadium provides a terrific atmosphere in which to take in a college football game.

The Scarlet Knights of New Jersey's Rutgers University have been playing college football since - well, since college football was first played. In fact, it's been 125 years since the boys from New Brunswick lined up against the Princeton Tigers on that November day in 1869. Since then, Rutgers has compiled a rather mediocre 556-567-40 record.

While the Scarlet Knights played their first games on an empty field on the university's more urban College Avenue campus, they eventually moved to the site of today's stadium when, in 1939, Rutgers Stadium officially opened on what is today known as the Busch Campus. That stadium, a 20,000 seat bowl carved out of a natural ravine, was long on character, but short on space.

The "New" Rutgers Stadium

Since being refurbished - including the addition of about 25,000 seats - 10 years ago, Rutgers Stadium has become one of the nicer college football stadiums in the Big East conference. With opposition provided by the likes of Michigan State, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia - even Notre Dame and Texas have visited - it certainly qualifies as "big-time" college football. 

I've gone to several games there and have sat in various locations -the lower deck, upper deck and end zone - and can honestly say that there really isn't a bad seat in the house. I do prefer the upper deck because since the stadium rarely sells out - and, now that I think about it, I don't think it has ever sold out - the crowds up there are sparser, making the lines for the concessions (and restrooms) shorter.

Ticket prices are on par with other Big East schools - about $25 per person - yet, there are bargains to be had - you just need to ask. For example, alumni can get two tickets for the price of one as long as they don't mind sitting in the end zone.  In addition, Shop-Rite, a regional grocery chain, is currently offering a free ticket for every ticket purchased for September home games.

The atmosphere in the stadium fluctuates as the home team's fortunes change. And, because Rutgers fans tend to be fairly fair-weathered, it's not uncommon to see more fans from the opposing team in the stands than RU fans. The energy level can go from frenzied to morgue-like in the matter of minutes. Since we're dealing with probably the most frustrated group of college football fans in the country - it's easy to see why this happens.

Parking Woes

The only real problem with the stadium is parking, especially if you are bringing little kids to the game. Typically, you need to park quite a distance away and in some cases, be shuttled to the stadium. This is especially true if you decide to buy tickets on game day because access to the lots closest to the stadium are restricted to those who purchased advance parking passes. While the local and campus police do a great job in keeping traffic moving, getting to and from the stadium area on game day can be a major headache.

The food is typical stadium fare - hot dogs, hot pretzels, chips, soda, etc. - nothing remarkable. The restrooms are above average in cleanliness (at least the ladies rooms).

The bottom line here is if you are looking for big-time college football, this isn't the place for you. If, however, you just want to have a good time, then it's worth the trip.

For More Information:

For a complete schedule, ticket information and directions, you can visit Scarlet Knights.