Rutgers to host 2017 Big Ten Gymnastics Championships

This from Rutgers Athletics:

Rutgers gymnastics will host the 2017 Big Ten Championships at the Rutgers Athletic Center on Saturday, March 18 to highlight the schedule for the upcoming season. The Scarlet Knights will also stage three meets at the Livingston Recreation Center and one at the RAC during the course of the regular season.

“We are extremely excited to be hosting Big Ten Championships this year,” sixth-year head coach Louis Levine said. “It is the first time since 2006 that we are hosting a conference championship and I can't wait to have such a prestigious event on our campus and for fans to be able to experience a competition with so much great gymnastics in one place.”

The Big Ten Championships will consist of two meets on the date, with four teams competing in the afternoon and the remaining six rotating later on in the evening. Rutgers gymnastics last welcomed its conference in 2006 with the hosting of the EAGL Championships. Ticket information will be available soon.

The impact

This is only the second Big Ten championship to be hosted by Rutgers. In part, that is due to the newness of RU being in the Big Ten. But it also reflects the lack of quality, championship level facilities on campus.

Rutgers hosted the 2015 Women’s Lacrosse Championships at High Point Solutions Stadium, an event that ran well and demonstrated the University’s ability to conduct such an event. But it is a point to note that Rutgers still lacks the facilities to host major events - including Big Ten championships - that would bring fans to campus, boost Rutgers’ profile, and boost the local economy.