RU Is A “B1G” Deal
by David Chmiel
Garden State residents know how great Rutgers is, but its Big Ten affiliation will give the rest of the country a taste of just what ‘Jersey Strong’ means.
O
n November 6, 1869, the institution of higher learn-
Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwest-
ing formerly known as Queens College beat the insti-
ern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin)
tution of higher knowledge still known as Princeton
is one of the five “power” conferences that set the standard
University, 6-4, in the first college football game. Tapes of Ye
for excellence in college sports. The conference today boasts
Olde Sportscenter could not be found, so football historians
14 men’s sports and 14 women’s sports, with nearly 10,000
can’t be sure whether the Queens boys scored two field goals or missed the extra point.
athletes participating. They also have their own TV network, a cash cow for Big Ten members. Just this year, the conference opened
What historians do know is that
an office in New York City (perhaps
Rutgers University, the institu-
owing to Rutgers’ proximity to
tion of higher learning former-
the massive New York media
ly known as Queens College,
market and the advertisers
is one of the eight “Colonial
within).
Colleges” (Harvard, Yale, William & Mary, Princeton,
Kate Hickey, Senior Associ-
Columbia, University of Penn-
ate Athletics Director/Senior
sylvania, Brown, and Dartmouth are the others) that were first founded in the United States. So when all the fuss was being made about how great
Women’s Administrator, says the move to the Big Ten has been a godsend for athletes in the under-the-radar (read: not big cash generators) sports.
the move to the Big Ten would be for Rutgers, the more than
“Speaking for our Olympic sports (those except football
450,000 alumni — as well as the present student body,
and men’s/women’s basketball) since those are the sports
faculty, employees, and administrators — knew just how
I oversee, the energy level of our student-athletes is a whole
fortunate the Big Ten is to get access to the RU traditions.
new level,” she said. “They see opportunities to compete against and succeed against the best competition national-
The Big Ten was founded in 1895, when presidents from
ly. They know they are part of a special time at Rutgers and
a group of Midwestern universities got together to set up
they are embracing the opportunity to be part of history. The
an organization to rule intercollegiate athletics. Today, the
creation of new rivalries in all sports has increased the ex-
conference (comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland,
citement in our students. The academic and administrative