Rutgers is a Hot Landing Spot for AD Candidates and Here's Why

Rutgers athletics currently ranks last in fundraising in the Big Ten, trailing 13th-place Maryland by millions.

Awash in debt, with 24 teams and nearly a thousand athletes, Rutgers has struggled mightily to keep pace with the rest of the Big Ten conference, lacking a strong national identity and the leadership to address the ever-changing NIL landscape.

That's no surprise to Scarlet Knight alumni conditioned for failure.

What was a surprise was that the university was able to land William F.

Tate, IV, as their next president.

Tate turned down a raise and bonus incentives to stay in Baton Rouge, leaving for a university steeped in history, diversity, and academic achievement, but severely lacking in athletic success.

With President Tate scheduled to take the reins on July 1st, an athletic director hire should not be far behind, a hire that will not only help define President Tate's legacy but also look to rewrite the narrative of Rutgers athletics and provide leadership that has been missing for years.

Why the Rutgers AD Opening is Attractive This is a no-brainer.

There are two power conferences in college athletics that drive the economic engine, and then there is everyone else.

Rutgers alumni and fans can thank former AD Tim Pernetti for partnering with Maryland and having a voice in former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany's ear back in 2012.

Delany anticipated correctly that carrying the NYC and Baltimore metro areas would lead to a massive television deal for the conference.

The conference bluebloods will always debate Rutgers' inclusion, but the Scarlet Knights are here to stay.

Assuming Rutgers pays market rate, as a member of the Big Ten, they should have little difficutly attracting an ambitious AD with a vision.

Unlike the two past Rutgers presidents in Barci and Holloway, incoming president Tate has overtly stated he doesn't like losing.

Despite his dedication to academics and research at LSU, you don't survive in Baton Rouge without putting a quality product on the field and meeting the high expectations of Tiger alumni and fans who expect to compete for championships.

LSU's most recent national championships include baseball and women's basketball in 2023 and football in 2019.

Scarlet Knights fans are nothing if not realistic, and while nobody is expecting a string of championships across three sports, it's not unrealistic to believe the right hire can bring an infusion of energy and competitiveness in all 24 sports, in conference and on the national stage.

Incoming President Tate saw the opportunity and challenge of leading Rutgers into the future.

One would expect the same from any serious AD candidate - a chance to write their own narrative.

The ideal candidate will not only welcome the challenges of fundraising, navigating NIL, and competing at a high level but will attack them, helping Rutgers athletics succeed and leaving a lasting legacy.

Needless to say, unlike the past three athletic directors, Rutgers needs to ace this hire.

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