The Big Difference: Rutgers gymnastics Big Ten prospectus
Coach Louis Levine quotes:
On Big Ten travel: “The biggest difference for us is we’re going to have to fly more. However, it probably takes us less time to fly to Nebraska than to bus to Kent State. I think it’s a good thing for us because we’re now competing in places where we’re trying to get recruits from and they can see us in person. I think for us the negatives of having to travel more are far outweighed by the positives of having what we’re doing out there for more people to see.”
On the benefits of his experience as a gymnast and an assistant men's gymnastics coach at Michigan: “I’ve been there for the step up in magnitude. We’re going to be in front of bigger crowds than we’ve been sometimes in the past. You get to face top-notch competition week-in and week-out. I have the experience of having been there and not only coached in that world but competed in that world, so I know what we’re getting ourselves into. Being able to step back in, I understand the Big Ten world.”
On facilities: “Michigan and Nebraska and Minnesota are in their basketball arenas. Ohio State is in their old basketball arena. Penn State has the rec center there that is a great small venue for a gymnastics meet. Michigan has one of the nicest gyms in the country. You’re dealing with a little bit of an uphill battle when it comes to the facilities but as long as we bring in athletes that are competitive at that level we’ll be able to compete with any of them.”
On becoming a bigger draw at Rutgers: “The most important thing is winning. We’ve been getting better and better and the support gets better and better. More people want to come see that. The advantage for us from a revenue standpoint is we’re bringing in teams that are better, higher ranked. Gymnastics is huge in New Jersey.We’re bringing in teams like Nebraska, Illinois, Ohio State, Maryland, Michigan, and we’re a destination for people to come out and watch high level gymnastics meets.”
On recruiting: “What it comes down to in gymnastics for sure is teams that are getting the best recruits are teams that are finishing the highest. We’ve done a good job of out-performing where are kids have come in in the past and we’ve really grown over time and we have to continue to grow. We have to continue to push our athletes to the ultimate of what they’re capable of and as long as we continue to do that we’re going to continue to push up those rankings in the Big Ten.”
Sizing up the competition: Led by perennial powers Michigan, a 20-time conference champion, and Nebraska, the Big Ten sent four teams (Penn State and Illinois) to the 2014 NCAA Championships. Rutgers is coming off a breakout year in which it posted six of the top 10 scores in program history, returned to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2007, achieved its highest ever national ranking (No. 16) and had its best conference finish in school history (third at the EAGL Championships). Levine is a former Michigan gymnast and assistant men’s gymnastics coach.
The numbers matter: With $205,629 in contributions in 2013, Rutgers gymnastics brought in five to 10 times most women’s sports and almost twice as much as basketball, though still not as much as its counterparts at Maryland or Penn State. As a result, Rutgers, which used fewer scholarships (9.75) than Maryland, Penn State and Nebraska, relied on $587,722 in student fees and direct institutional support – less than most of its peers in the department – to balance its budget. It added a revenue source in 2014 as it began charging admission and still sold out Senior Day. Travel costs ($91,239) might not jump much given only three or four road trips are required annually.
Last 10 years:
2014: 17-5 (4-1 EAGL), NCAA Regionals
2013: 12-12 (2-4 EAGL)
2012: 13-11 (0-7 EAGL)
2011: 20-8 (2-5 EAGL)
2010: 10-14 (0-9 EAGL)
2009: 6-22 (0-9 EAGL)
2008: 10-13-1 (0-8 EAGL)
2007: 17-6 (3-3 EAGL), NCAA Regionals
2006: 10-8 (1-5 EAGL), NCAA Regionals
2005: 16-9 (2-6 EAGL), NCAA Regionals