Rutgers’ brand on the rise with Mike Rice

BY JOE FAVORITO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

ON N.J. SPORTS MARKETING

The local hoops scene is undergoing a bit of a renaissance this winter. St. John's is much improved, Seton Hall is holding it's own, the New York Knicks are a pleasant surprise, St. Peter's pulled off an early upset or two, and down south, Villanova, Temple and the Big Five are holding their own for the most part.

And then there is Rutgers basketball.

The Scarlet Knights faithful, after a disappointing football season, were looking for a breath of fresh air of their own, and appear to have found it with new coach Mike Rice and the rejuvenated team he inherited along with some new faces. They are fun to watch, hold their own at the RAC and then some, and have put a scare into and beaten some quality opponents already. More importantly, they are sending out the right messages of hustle, determination and enthusiasm, all of which reflect the image of their young and energetic coach. Now college hoops, even on the most elite levels in the Northeast, is still dwarfed on a national level by football, and filling the RAC on a regular basis (which hopefully will be coming) is not the same as the revenue, interest and branding that comes from filling Rutgers Stadium for six Saturdays and into the Bowl season. However it is a very good start, and a strong compliment to what the University is trying to accomplish with its brand, over a long winter.

This area is more about college hoops than it is about football, and probably has just as large a following of casual fans than college football does. Therefore, those casual fans can be activated to come and see the Scarlet Knights and get more of a consistent flavor for the University over the course of a successful hoops season than maybe football could do in the short run. A successful men's program to compliment the work C. Vivian Stringer has done on the women's side also creates more development opportunities when the teams play on the road, which is also an added plus when you are asking people to venture out in the dead of winter on weeknights.

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From a brand side, Rice's infectious enthusiasm is also appealing and marketable to businesses that are looking to both identify with a younger audience and the high net worth of Rutgers alums, so incorporating him into campaigns and promotions is a much needed and valuable asset in the New York area. His support of all things Rutgers already has led to added media coverage, which translates into visibility, which translates into bottom line help. The other things that Rice sells for Rutgers are the catch alls in sports marketing...hype and hope.

The hype was a slow build because of the tempered enthusiasm for a young coach with a growing pedigree vs. bringing in an established coach. The hope lives in a recruiting class that is already rated among the best in country, and one, which is reflective of the style and manner of a rising star of a coach.

Will it all transfer into dollars down the line? If the winning and enthusiasm continues, it sure will. And that would be welcome news not just in Piscataway, but all over a long cold New Jersey winter.

Joe Favorito has over 24 years of strategic communications/marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, entertainment, brand building, media training, television, athletic administration and business. Visit him at JoeFavorito.com.