One thing is certain when Rutgers basketball takes on eighth-ranked Michigan State Saturday at Madison Square Garden: The World’s Most Famous Arena will be a sea of red.
As of Wednesday more than 14,000 tickets had been sold, with the vast majority gobbled up by the Scarlet Knights’ faithful. Attendance is likely to be north of 16,000 – one of the largest gatherings of Rutgers hoops fans ever.
“It shows the enthusiasm for the program,” said Al Reicheg, president of the Rutgers Court Club. “Even in a difficult year that hasn’t met everyone’s expectations, there’s still going to be a tremendous turnout.”
If Rutgers (10-9 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) can’t topple Michigan State (16-2, 7-0), which has reeled off 11 straight victories, it won’t be due to lack of fan support.
“It’s going to be Fourth of July and Christmas for them,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo told reporters Wednesday, “but it’s going to be kind of exciting for us.”
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Biggest Rutgers crowds ever?
What is the record turnout for Rutgers fans at a basketball game? Here is what a dive into the archives shows based on available attendance figures:
February 1976: A crowd of 18,131 packed Madison Square Garden as the Scarlet Knights beat West Virginia 86-76 in a regular-season contest (with such limited capacity at the College Avenue Gym, Rutgers played a handful of games at the Garden during a campaign that ended in the Final Four). Eddie Jordan tallied 18 points, 11 assists and six steals as the Scarlet Knights improved to 18-0. A guard by the name of Bob Huggins registered eight points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench for West Virginia.
March 1967: In the NIT semifinals, a sold-out Madison Square Garden doubleheader crowd of 18,499 watched Rutgers fall to Southern Illinois (led by Walt Frazier) and Marquette beat Marshall. Although most of the fans probably were there for Rutgers, it’s impossible to know how many.
March 2004: A crowd of 16,064, largely pro-Rutgers, flocked to Madison Square Garden as the Scarlet Knights fell to Michigan 62-55 in the NIT final.
February 2023: Of the 14,844 fans who watched Rutgers grind down Michigan State 61-55 at Madison Square Garden, probably between 12,000-13,000 were in the Scarlet Knights’ corner (the Big Ten ran the event, so ticket distribution was different than it is this year, when Rutgers has a true home game and is in charge of all operations).
December 1981: A Rutgers-heavy crowd of 13,681 packed the Meadowlands’ arena as the Scarlet Knights upset No. 8 UCLA 57-54.
February 2020: Another Big Ten-run game, this time with Michigan as the “home” team, drew 13,127 fans to Madison Square Garden as the Wolverines prevailed 69-63. It was a pro-Rutgers crowd but Wolverines fans were there in decent numbers.
February 2018: Attendance for the Big Ten Tournament first-round doubleheader at Madison Square Garden was 14,681 as Rutgers beat Minnesota 65-54. It was mostly Rutgers fans.
March 2018: Attendance for the Big Ten Tournament second-round doubleheader at Madison Square Garden was 13,996 as Rutgers stunned Indiana 76-69. If there were Indiana fans there, they hardly uttered a peep.
March 2018: Attendance for the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal doubleheader at Madison Square Garden was 14,530 as No. 8 Purdue held off the Scarlet Knights 82-75. Rutgers had the plurality of the crowd.
March 2004: Rutgers fans took over the NIT semifinals (doubleheader attendance: 12,630) during an 84-81 victory over Iowa State.
December 2024: More than 90 percent of the 10,148 folks in attendance were rooting for the Scarlet Knights during their 83-82 loss to Princeton.
“I’m always amazed at the power of Rutgers nation at Madison Square Garden,” said Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell, whose program is 3-3 at the Mecca since he took the reins in 2016 (including a 2017 overtime loss to Wisconsin that drew 8,531 fans).
Future games at MSG?
It was Pikiell who wanted this event after having pitched the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden to freshmen superstars Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey during their recruitment. Two potential opponents fell through (Syracuse out of conference, and Michigan) before Rutgers lined up Michigan State as the opponent.
“I’m thankful that Michigan State took the game – we had to run it by a lot of different people and places,” Pikiell said. “Tom Izzo is happy to play at Madison Square Garden I’m sure.”
Izzo was asked that very question by reporters Wednesday.
“I just think it’s great when your players get a chance to play in places and do things that will be memory-making for them,” he said, later adding, “I guess I’d rather play them there than in the RAC but you never know – they might have a humongous crowd there. The crowd definitely plays a factor when you’re on the road. I think it will play less of a factor there than if it was at the RAC.”
Although Harper and Bailey will be in the NBA next season, Pikiell said the lure of a Garden game is a tool he’ll keep in his recruiting toolbox.
“I think it’s something I would really like to do,” he said. “In recruiting it’s one of those things that I use. We may not have the most NIL (relative to other Big Ten programs), but this is something we can do. The families are excited about it, too – the families know more about Madison Square Garden sometimes than the kids.”
Adding to the grandeur of the stage: It’s on CBS (1:30 p.m. tip). That’s a first for a Rutgers basketball game since the 1991 NCAA Tournament loss to Arizona State. And it’s the Scarlet Knights’ first regular-season contest to air on CBS since a 1983 loss to West Virginia.
The spotlight could not be bigger, although some Rutgers fans are wondering if the venue change is worthwhile.
“The question that’s on a lot of people’s minds is: Is the benefit there to give up a true home game, because even 15,000 in the Garden is probably not the same as 8,000 at the RAC,” Reicheg said. “Hopefully I’m wrong and it’ll be a true RAC experience at the World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Injury report
Harper did not practice Wednesday after suffering a sprained ankle during Monday’s loss at Penn State. He’s expected to play Saturday barring a setback, although he’ll likely be limited in practice all week.
“Dylan muscled his way through the game, but he obviously wasn’t himself,” Pikiell said.
Center Manny Ogbole, who hurt his knee at Penn State, also did not practice Wednesday and is being evaluated day-to-day.
The case for MSG: In the Jersey Jump Shot podcast posted atop this story, at the 30-minute mark, the hosts make the case in favor of Rutgers playing at Madison Square Garden.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
