SHI Getting Too Old?

The current home of the Rutgers Football Program (SHI Stadium) has been home to the knights since 1994. With an original capacity of 41,500, the school renovated the stadium in 2008 which bumped up capacity to 52,454 fans. For the past several years, tickets for Rutgers’ home games at SHI Stadium have consistently sold well, and the facility has seen increased attendance and fan engagement, creating one of the most energized home environments in the Big Ten. In the picture, the stadium looks full of passionate fans but a question arises on if changes have to be made.

Last season, the Knights had a record game with a game attendance of 55,942 fans which is the most in school history. In the modern age of college football, teams are building and renovating stadiums all across the country to account for the growing popularity of the sport and growth in revenue demand. As one of the schools that played the world's first organized football game, the almost 30 year old stadium seems to be lacking compared to other programs. Ranking 14th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten Conference, it seems like Rutgers could be seeing into another renovation or new stadium in a couple years.

So what about stadium architecture and capacity? Does it actually matter? For the overall sport it does not matter however strong college football programs use their stadiums to not only generate millions in revenue per home games but also make the school attractive to recruits, staff, and students. The bigger or “grander” the stadium is, the school is able to sell more tickets, get pricier brand / advertisement deals, and lure in athletes who dream of playing in front of thousands. SHI Stadium is not a bad venue for it is functional and capable of producing a strong game-day environment when filled. However, compared to the upper tier of the Big Ten, it operates on a smaller scale and lacks some of the architectural presence and capacity that define the conference’s premier stadiums.

Brandon Cho / Olde City Sports Network
Photo Credit / Stadium and Arena Visits Organization
Photo Credit / Rutgers Athletics
Photo Credit / Rutgers University Athletics Media Department