Governor Murphy budgets $100 million for Rutgers’ athletic facilities

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has earmarked $100 million for Rutgers athletics in the proposed budget for the state per reporting from Brent Johnson and Ted Sherman of NJ Advance Media. The money is specifically for renovating Jersey Mike’s Arena and for the development of the proposed indoor practice facility for football. The budget is expected to be passed on Wednesday and signed into law by Murphy on Thursday per the report.

Also included in the budget by Murphy is a commitment of $150 million to the Rutgers medical schools along with $50 million for a research hub to be built in downtown New Brunswick.

This is monumental news and comprehensive support for the state university. Rutgers is fully aligned in an unprecedented way. From Governor Murphy to President Holloway, Dean Johnson and athletic director Pat Hobbs, the leadership atop the state and Rutgers has a cohesive plan. Joining the Big Ten and the medical school merger has put Rutgers at another level in which the surface is only being scratched. Having all the top leaders involved moving forward in a unified way will give the university an opportunity to reach its full potential.

From an athletics perspective, this news is equally incredible. Hobbs has spoken about the desire to improve the arena formerly known as the RAC and a renovation was part of the naming rights deal with Jersey Mike’s. As beloved as the venue is by fans, modern improvements are needed.

In addition, part of the deal in hiring Greg Schiano was a commitment toward building an indoor practice facility. While a formal fundraising campaign is expected to be announce soon, receiving some funding from the state is a major first step.

Rutgers athletics had a banner year on the field in 2021-2022. With Tuesday’s news that the Governor of New Jersey is funding important improvements and development projects for the athletic department and the state university as a whole, better days continue to occur. As Bill Belichick likes to say, “Big Day for Rutgers!”