30 Reasons for 30 Days - Day 23: The University Itself

From now through September 3rd, I am posting a daily reason why it is great to be a fan of Rutgers football. There are a lot more than thirty, but I picked my thirty reasons, and hope you like them. If not, be sure to let me know.

Sometimes I think sports fans forget, but it is important for all to remember that Rutgers is first and foremost a university. Not just a university, but a research university. Not just a research university, but a member of the Association of American Universities, or AAU, which is an association of the top research universities in the country. Finally, as a result of their membership in the Big Ten, Rutgers is also a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), which until this past June was called the Committee of Institutional Cooperation, or CIC. The membership is the entire membership of the Big Ten Conference. In the old CIC, the University of Chicago was a member, but in the revamped organization, it is not a member, but will continue to be a collaborator.

Wikipedia

Rutgers is also listed as a world-class university. The Center for World University Rankings lists Rutgers as the 43rd best university in the world for 2016 out of over 1000 entries. In the most recent ranking by ARWU World University Rankings lists Rutgers at an average of 59 out of over 500 for the past four years. Finally, The Best Schools listed The 100 Best Universities in the World listed Rutgers at number 52, and at #34 in the United States.

No matter how you look at these, and whatever list you use, it is clear that Rutgers is a world-class institution academically, and fits in well with its peers in the Big Ten. The Center for World University Rankings, listed above, shows that all 14 of the Big Ten School are listed in the rankings, beginning with Michigan at number 19, and ending with Iowa at 125. Remember, this is out of 1000 universities world-wide.

There are alums of Rutgers that are Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, governors, senators, writers, actors, and more of national and international renown.

Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

There’s a lot to be proud of as a Rutgers football fan, and the reasons carry over from the teams to the classrooms and laboratories.