Rutgers football took an absolute gut punch, falling 37-21 to UMass on Thursday night, and the fallout is immediate: head coach Greg Schiano is officially on the hot seat after a loss almost nobody saw coming. Schiano himself admitted he “never saw it coming,” but the fans online are already boiling, especially after finding out just how wild this whole situation really is. Someone on X.com nailed it, writing, “Rutgers invented college football in 1869 and has spent the last 160 years regretting the decision.” You just can’t make this stuff up.
They Paid HOW Much For That Beatdown?
Seriously, get this: Rutgers shelled out a cool $1.55 million to UMass just to play this game. That’s right, they paid the Minutemen a guarantee check, according to FBSchedules, in what’s known as a “buy game” where the big FBS program usually wins. “Usually” being the key word there. It didn’t stop there, either. After getting absolutely embarrassed by 16 points, Rutgers still went ahead with a pre-scheduled, massive fireworks display inside a nearly empty SHI Stadium. Public records cited by FOIABall reveal Rutgers spent $191,159 on stadium fireworks for a *recent entire college football season*. They just blew a chunk of that cash after a humiliating loss. Are you kidding me?
Schiano’s Ironclad Contract and the UMass Humiliation
Now, let’s talk about the man at the top. Coach Greg Schiano has an ironclad contract that makes it virtually impossible for Rutgers to consider a coaching change until 2030. If the school were to fire him, he’s owed a massive 76.875% of his remaining base salary. Documents obtained by the Asbury Park Press and USA TODAY Sports show that if he’s let go at the end of November, we’re talking approximately $18.5 million. That’s a huge price tag to eat, even with him on the hottest seat in college football. The UMass loss wasn’t just a tough game; it was a full-blown humiliation. Massachusetts rolled into this game 0-12 last season, a 29½-point underdog according to BetMGM. They hadn’t won a game in 677 days, last beating Wagner on Oct. 26, 2024. This result ended UMass’ 16-game losing streak, which was the longest in FBS. Even Dave Portnoy, with his 3.8 million followers, was “all-in” on Rutgers, then quickly changed his tune, saying, “Umass is apparently way better than Rutgers and nobody told Rutgers they had a game today. They are totally asleep. What a joke.”
This isn’t just a loss, it’s a full-blown crisis for Rutgers football. With Schiano’s contract locking him in until 2030, and the season starting with such a spectacular collapse against a team that hadn’t won in 677 days, every single game from here on out is going to feel like an uphill battle. The heat is on, and the pressure cooker is set to explode.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply