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Rutgers University officials have said for years that big investments they were making in athletics -- such as a $102 million football stadium expansion -- were necessary for the sports program to have success on the field and to bring in money. But an analysis by The Star-Ledger found that deficits are growing, despite completion of the stadium project and football success. For instance, the newspaper found that the percentage of people paying for football tickets has dropped in the last two years from 76 percent to 59 percent. And even with the university passing out more free tickets, thousands of seats at games are empty. Last year's operating loss of more than $26 million put Rutgers in the top 10 for athletics deficits among major programs, the newspaper said.
