Greg Schiano enters 2026 season with upgraded NIL resources at Rutgers

Rutgers football enters its 2026 season Thursday against UMass under coach Greg Schiano, who is working with new athletic department leadership to address past competitive disadvantages. Athletic director Keli Zinn and President William Tate have restructured the school's name, image and likeness operation to improve transfer portal efforts and roster depth. The investment, which reportedly moves Rutgers out of the Big Ten's lowest tier for spending, supports a staff that includes new defensive coordinator Travis Johansen. Despite these resources, the program faces low external expectations, with some projections placing the Scarlet Knights near the bottom of the conference standings. Schiano remains under contract through the 2029 season, with significant financial implications tied to any potential personnel changes. The team enters the year aiming for a College Football Playoff berth rather than standard bowl qualification.

• 12:07 PMYahoo Sports — Greg Schiano is finally armed with Big Ten NIL. Will Rutgers actually compete? His job may depend on it.