Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano speaking at a press conference this week was blunt about his school's previous NIL efforts.
"We have not tried it," Schiano told reporters. "Let's be honest and with all due respect to everybody who put forth the effort, we have not tried it."
That's all about to change, as the Scarlet Knights will launch the R NIL brand during this weekend's homecoming festivities.
"More than 120 Fortune 500 companies call the combined New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia footprint home," the school wrote in a post on its website. "Spanning industries such as finance, healthcare, technology, media, and consumer brands, this concentration of global enterprises creates a powerful network of partnerships and endorsement opportunities that few regions in the country can rival."
The school plans to bring attention tot he R NIL brand through activations at all events over homecoming weekend (October 16-19), promising to "blanket the Piscataway campus will be blanketed with t-shirts, buttons, banners, backdrops and signage to show the widespread impact of R NIL."
"Rutgers Nation, let's build something bigger — for New Jersey, for Rutgers, and for your business," said Rutgers director of athletics Kelli Zinn. "When local businesses support our student-athletes, they're not just backing a name — they're investing in dreams, in teams, and in championships. Now is the time to team up with Rutgers student-athletes through R NIL and create a winning partnership that leaves a lasting impact."
Schiano stressed the importance of supporting players with NIL resources.
"Supporting our players through NIL has never been more important," he said. "We are excited about the plan in place to elevate Rutgers to the next level. It will take all of us coming together."
