RUTGERS Season Opener Sold Out
Student tickets still remain
Credit Source: Rutgers University Athletics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Aug. 31, 2021) – The Rutgers fanbase has delivered a sellout for Thursday’s Rutgers football season opener at SHI Stadium, presented by PNC. It will mark the first home game for the Scarlet Knights in front of a crowd since the return of head coach Greg Schiano.
No tickets are available for the general public, while student tickets still remain. Students may claim a ticket up until kickoff online here.
In an effort to encourage a safe environment for fans as well as improve the ease of entry into the stadium, Rutgers moved to mobile-only tickets, which can be added to an Apple Wallet or Google Pay app. Digital tickets provide for contactless entry, limiting person-to-person interactions, while speeding entry time into the venue and also offers a secure means to transfer and exchange tickets. Representatives from the Rutgers ticket staff will be on hand to help assists customers with any digital ticket related matters. Fans will also receive mobile parking passes that they can manage like their digital tickets. Fans are encouraged to download mobile tickets and parking passes to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay apps prior to arriving at the stadium.
When traveling to Piscataway, please avoid using Landing Lane Bridge to access SHI Stadium. The roadway will be closed to vehicles while repairs are completed now through mid-November. A full detour is in place for the duration of the project. Motorists are asked to follow posted detour signage. Please allow for extra time as stadium traffic could become congested on Rutgers football game days.
Kickoff against Temple is set for 6:31 p.m. Fans are encouraged to welcome the team at the Scarlet Walk scheduled for 4 p.m. Gates to the stadium open at 4:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network has the broadcast, with the radio call on the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network.
Under the direction Schiano, Rutgers matched its program high with three Big Ten victories in 2020. The Scarlet Knights had 14 players recognized in the All-Big Ten voting, the most for the program since joining the league. In addition, RU posted a team-best 26.7 points per game in a Big Ten season, a gain of 13.4 points per game from the previous season for the fourth-best improvement nationally. The defense collected 19 takeaways and led the conference with 7.8 tackles-for-loss, while the kick return units were one of four nationally with at least three kick return touchdowns. Academically, Rutgers saw 46 student-athletes earn Academic All-Big Ten honors, a program high.
Follow Rutgers football on Twitter (@RFootball), Facebook (/RFootballShow) and Instagram (@rfootball) for the latest news and updates. Also subscribe to the YouTube channel and bookmark Rutgers.Football, the Scarlet Knights’ dedicated recruiting site.
Wildcats And WGN Radio Ink Five-Year Radio Broadcast Rightsholder Extension
Credit Source: Northwestern University Athletics
EVANSTON, Illinois – Northwestern Athletics and WGN Radio have agreed to a five-year broadcast rightsholder extension that will keep Wildcats football and men’s basketball on the station through the 2025-26 seasons.
WGN Radio has been the home of the Wildcats since 1996. Northwestern Athletics head coaches Pat Fitzgerald and Chris Collins will continue to make frequent appearances on the station’s shows.
“For the past 25 years, WGN Radio has broadcast Northwestern football and men’s basketball and I am thrilled to be extending our partnership for five more years, bringing Chicago’s Big Ten Team play-by-play to our Chicago’s Very Own audience,” said WGN Radio Vice President and General Manager Mary Sandberg Boyle.
Dave Eanet, WGN Radio’s sports director and a member of the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame, has handled play-by-play duties for Wildcats football since 1990, and basketball since 1996. “I’m excited to see our relationship with Northwestern Athletics continue,” said Dave Eanet. “We’ve had so many great moments: Bowl games, two Big Ten Championship games, the NCAA Tournament, and I know many more thrilling moments are ahead. We look forward to bringing them to WGN Radio listeners for the years to come.”
“WGN Radio and Dave Eanet have been synonymous with the Northwestern Wildcats for decades, and we’re excited to continue that partnership,” said Northwestern’s Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg. “His voice is the soundtrack to so many incredible memories for our fans, and we look forward to many more over the next five years.”
Northwestern football returns to WGN Radio on Friday, September 3, when the defending Big Ten West Division and Citrus Bowl champions host the Michigan State Spartans at Ryan Field in the 2021 season opener. Pregame coverage with Eanet and longtime broadcast partner Ted Albrecht kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Illini Women’s Basketball Releases Non-Conference Schedule
Credit Source: University of Illinois Athletics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team released its non-conference schedule for the 2021-22 season on Friday, setting the stage for an exciting slate of games as fans return to State Farm Center beginning this November.
The Orange and Blue will play 11 non-conference games – including eight on their home court – to prepare the squad for the challenging Big Ten schedule.
Illinois opens the season on Tuesday, Nov. 9, hosting North Carolina Central. The matchup vs. the Eagles marks the first of four consecutive home dates, followed by a tilt vs. Miami (OH) the following Sunday, Nov. 14. The next week, the Illini host SIUE on Thursday, Nov. 28, before a Sunday contest against UC Riverside on Nov. 21.
The Illini will spend the Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26-27, at the Daytona Beach Invitational in Daytona, Fla., where they will face off against Dayton and Middle Tennessee on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Flyers are coming off an Atlantic 10 regular-season championship and 2021 WNIT berth, while the Blue Raiders competed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament as C-USA tournament champions.
December opens with Illinois hosting Florida State as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 2. The Seminoles, coming off of their eighth-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, return all five starters for 2021-22 and are ranked No. 17 in ESPN’s Way-To-Early Top 25.
Following the matchup vs. the Seminoles, the Illini welcome Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 5) and Butler (Dec. 12) before traveling to Carbondale for a road game at Southern Illinois on Sunday, Dec. 19.
The non-conference schedule concludes the following Wednesday, Dec. 22, when the Illini host Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights game. Illinois won the most recent meeting between the rivals, 58-51, in December 2019. The Tigers are coming off of a WNIT bid to close out their 2020-21 season.
Illinois’ full Big Ten schedule will be released at a later date. Home and road matchups for the 18-game schedule were announced in June:
- Big Ten Home Games: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
- Big Ten Away Games: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Tickets Available Now
Illini women’s basketball season tickets are available for renewal or upgrade from now until Sept. 17, and new season tickets are on sale, starting at just $40. Fans can purchase tickets online at FightingIllini.com, over the phone by calling 866-ILLINI-1 (866-455-4641), or in person at the Illinois ticket office located in the west lobby of State Farm Center.
Duo Earns First Preseason All-American Awards
Credit Source: Purdue University Athletics
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In what will likely be the first of many preseason awards, Purdue men’s basketball players Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams have been named a preseason All-American by Athlon Sports.
Purdue joins Gonzaga and UCLA as the only programs to have two players named to Athlon’s All-American teams, a total of 15 players on three teams.
Ivey, a 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore guard from South Bend, Indiana, was tabbed to the second team after an outstanding freshman campaign. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team after averaging 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. However, over the last six contests a year ago, Ivey averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 37-of-79 (.468) from the field in that span. He scored 26 points against North Texas, the second-most ever by a Big Ten freshman in an NCAA Tournament debut.
Williams, a 6-foot, 10-inch senior forward from Chicago, was named to the third team after being a first-team All-Big Ten selection and being one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to the nation’s top center after averaging 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He owned 11 double-doubles and his six 20-10 games were the third-most nationally for a major-college player. He also became just the ninth Big Ten player in the last 30 years to average at least 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game and was one of six players nationally this year to reach those marks.
The Purdue duo was joined by three other Big Ten representatives on the three teams. Kofi Cockburn (Illinois) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) were named to the first team, while Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell was a second-team selection.
Fahey Announces Patterson Promotion to Associate Head Coach
Credit Source: University of Illinois Athetics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois women’s basketball head coach Nancy Fahey announced Thursday the promotion of John Patterson to associate head coach.
“I’m am so excited to see John take this next step in his coaching career,” Fahey said. “John is as loyal, hard-working, and knowledgeable as any coach I’ve worked with in my 35-year career. John excels at analytics, elevating our players’ games to another level. He is an outstanding person of the highest character and I know his role as associate head coach will allow him to have an even greater impact on our program going forward.”
Patterson, enters his third season as an on-court coach and his fifth overall with the Fighting Illini in 2021-22. He first came to Illinois as part of Fahey’s initial staff in 2017-18 and spent two seasons as the team’s director of player personnel after previously serving three years (2013-16) as Fahey’s primary assistant at Washington University.
“I want to thank Coach Fahey for the opportunity to continue to grow as a coach with Fighting Illini women’s basketball,” Patterson said. “This state, program, and community are home for my family, and the opportunity to take on an expanded role with this team, while continuing to learn from a hall-of-fame mentor in Coach Fahey, is one that I don’t take for granted.”
Patterson will continue his work on the court developing the Illini’s guards, which has helped produce a record-setting stable of backcourt players during his tenure with the Orange and Blue. In his new role as associate head coach, he will also continue to handle game scheduling, and will take an increased role in the day-day operations of the program.
Patterson’s track record dates back to his time working with both the men’s and women’s basketball programs at WashU. During his time with the Bears, Patterson helped coach the women’s team to a 72-12 record and three University Athletic Association Championships. WashU advanced to the NCAA Tournament in all three of his seasons, highlighted by back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016. The WashU coaching staff also earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors during two of Patterson’s seasons (2014, 2015).
Before joining Fahey’s staff, Patterson served as a part-time assistant coach for the WashU men’s basketball program from 2010-13. During Patterson’s three seasons on Mark Edwards’ staff, the Bears posted a 54-26 (.675) record, won two UAA championships and advanced to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Patterson coached three seasons at Pattonville (Mo.) High School, in addition to three seasons of coaching in the club basketball ranks.
Patterson received his associate of arts degree from John A. Logan College in 2004, and his bachelor’s degree in education from Fontbonne University in 2007. He graduated from Carterville (Ill.) High School, and was an all-state honorable mention basketball selection in 2001 and 2002 before going on to play two seasons at John A. Logan and one at Fontbonne.
Patterson and his wife, Erin, have two children, Reese and Jack.
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