NJ Spotlight News spoke with NJ Advance Media’s Brian Fonseca about his recent reporting on rising revenues — and spending — in Rutgers athletics. Financial documents obtained by Fonseca show the department is running a $54 million deficit, despite record revenue.
“You have to spend a lot of money to keep up with the Jones in college football and college basketball,” said Fonseca, a Rutgers graduate who now covers Rutgers athletics. “And given the current direction of college athletics, I don’t think that is going to change anytime soon.”
The athletic department’s spending has been a top grievance among union faculty and staff, who’ve long pointed to the university’s practice of diverting money from academic priorities to sports. University leaders have defended the spending, saying it’s the cost of doing business in the Big Ten conference.
