<p>But for some reason, there isn’t the fierce loyalty for Rutgers among New Jerseyans as I’ve seen with so many other state Us.</p>
<p>I know some posters on this board will disagree but I believe a strong sports program - especially football or basketball- inspires that fierce loyalty and spirit. Look at Duke, Wake Forest, UMich, UWis, Penn State, UT and more. Compare to universities that don’t have this setup like SUNY campuses. It makes a difference. Students LOVE to root for their teams, and like it or not, it’s a huge draw. So although this is a very painful stage for Rutgers (and I do not agree with cutting the small teams - my son is a tennis player!) - I think Rutgers as an institution will be on the upswing in the next few years due to the huge success of the football program. It would be nice to see students in NJ actually pick Rutgers instead of paying double to go to Penn State. I guess we’ll see.</p>