PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The grill was on, and the first vodkas poured, and no one was entirely sure what to make of the five arrests that shook the Rutgers football program this week prior to the season-opener against Norfolk State.
Between this group of men at this Green Lot tailgate, mostly alumni and all with season tickets for more than a decade, there was initially great concern about five (now dismissed) players arrested for assault and robbery earlier this week.
But there was also a surprising amount of compassion — and patience — for a program these fans still want to compete with college football’s big boys and be a successful member of the Big Ten Conference.