N.J. Gov Budgets $100M for Rutgers Athletics Facilities

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy has earmarked $100 million for Rutgers athletics in a proposed state budget hammered out last week and pending passage today.

According to onthebanks.com, citing reporting by Brent Johnson and Ted Sherman of NJ Advance Media, the money is specifically for renovating Jersey Mike’s Arena and for the development of a proposed indoor practice facility for football. The budget is expected to be passed Wednesday and signed into law by Murphy on Thursday.

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.

As reported by Aaron Breitman of onthebanks.com, an SB Nation Rutgers community, this is monumental news and comprehensive support for the state university. "Rutgers is fully aligned in an unprecedented way," Breitman wrote Tuesday. "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."

Breitma added that 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," he wrote.

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