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PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Fatima Popcakova, a New Jersey native who resides in Wayne and holds a master's degree from Rutgers University, attended Saturday's Scarlet Knights homecoming football game dressed in red. But not the Rutgers shade.
She wore Indiana Hoosiers red. Popcakova, who earned her doctorate in dentistry from Indiana University, found it easy to choose a side. "Indiana, of course," she said. "We're the national champions!"
Seated six rows behind the Indiana sideline, Popcakova was surrounded by a sea of Hoosiers fans who filled the lower level as their team cruised to a 47-15 victory. Indiana amassed 593 yards of offense, including 329 rushing yards through wide gaps in the Scarlet Knights' defense.
Her friend in the adjacent seat, an Indiana native and IU alum, marveled at the sight and sound of Hoosiers faithful taking over a Big Ten stadium 750 miles from campus. "I never thought I'd see the day when our fans would show up like this," she said.
Visiting fans celebrating at Rutgers' expense has become an annual tradition, but this one carried extra weight. For generations, Indiana was the Big Ten's doormat. That changed rapidly due to a massive influx of roster talent and an inspired head-coaching hire.
Rutgers' new administration is addressing the talent gap, though replicating Indiana's connection to alum and tech billionaire Mark Cuban is a tough formula. Somewhere along the line, Indiana built or maintained a bridge to Cuban. Rutgers hasn't always managed such relationships well. Former athletics director Julie Hermann famously snubbed one of its most famous alums, NBA commissioner David Stern, whose net worth, while not in Cuban's league, was still substantial. Eddie Jordan, then the Scarlet Knights' men's basketball coach, wanted to bring his old friend Stern to a football game and requested prime seats. Hermann gave him corner tickets instead.
Who knows how many similar doors were closed by ineffective administrators at Rutgers, but second-year athletics director Keli Zinn and her team are aggressively pursuing revenue streams. As for the inspired coaching hire, that opportunity may be on the horizon. Is there a Curt Cignetti out there for Rutgers? If Indiana can win big after decades as a doormat, could the same happen in Piscataway? The Hoosiers' revival should offer the Scarlet Knights' long-suffering fans at least a glimmer of hope.
Because nothing is more disheartening than a homecoming game dominated by visiting fans and their vastly superior team. Again.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].