Almost three years into the Rutgers experiment, we can conclude Rutgers isn't great at this whole sports thing. But hey, the Scarlet Knights are trying. After splurging to hire Chris Ash away from Ohio State, Rutgers announced plans to build opulent athletic facilities that are all the rage.
Some of the numbers are staggering considering this involves, you know, Rutgers athletics.
From onthebanks.com:
At its monthly meeting, the Rutgers Board of Governors gave final approval to two major projects (we’ll touch base on the second below), including the construction of the new practice and training facility for basketball, gymnastics, and wrestling.
The R B1G Build was launched about 14 months ago with the goal of raising $100 million for the construction of the now-named RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center, a new training facility for soccer, lacrosse, and tennis, along with conversion of the Hale Center into a football only facility. And there were a few readers who, along the way, questioned how that amount of money could pay for all that construction in the NY/NJ metro area. They were right in their doubt.
The practice facility was okayed at $115 million and will require the University to borrow about $26 million to pay for the incorporated parking deck, with parking fees to be used to pay it off.
If all goes according to plan—and why wouldn't it?—the final outcome should look something like this:
Thanks to our Board of Governors final approval today, we are officially all-systems go on our brand new practice facility. #KnightAndDay pic.twitter.com/nfBcUknQww
— Rutgers Basketball (@RutgersMBB) April 7, 2017
Here's the price tag for Rutgers' new sports practice complex, by @realAdamClark https://t.co/fKhSHhQ9uL pic.twitter.com/0Kr4oB1t0M
— Keith Sargeant (@KSargeantNJ) April 6, 2017
Don't look now, but Rutgers is now my sleeper pick for next year's Big Ten Tournament.
