Rutgers Athletics, Jersey Mike’s Partner on Arena Naming Rights; New Multi-Year Agreement Renames Iconic Venue November 3, 2021
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 3, 2021) – Rutgers Athletics and Jersey Mike’s Subs have reached a multi-year agreement to make the fast-casual sub sandwich franchise an official naming rights partner of Rutgers Athletics. The newly named Jersey Mike’s Arena is home to nationally-recognized programs in men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball, in addition to future concerts and events. (Watch video)
“Jersey Mike’s is the perfect partner for Rutgers Athletics,” said Pat Hobbs, Rutgers Director of Athletics. “Our New Jersey brand extends beyond our borders; it is a state of mind that speaks to our core values of grit and the pursuit of excellence. Jersey Mike’s is an organization also engaged in the relentless pursuit of excellence, so what better partner for the State University of New Jersey?”
“Rutgers University is a home state neighbor that shares our values of excellence and community involvement,” said Peter Cancro, founder and CEO, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “Jersey Mike’s is proud to partner with Rutgers Athletics and celebrate the school’s many dedicated student-athletes and their fans.”
“We are pleased to partner with a Jersey-born company committed to making a difference through its generous giving to charities,” said Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway. “Jersey’s Mike’s philanthropic history aligns with our core values that center on outreach to our communities and a relentless pursuit of excellence in all we do.”
This partnership between Rutgers and Jersey Mike’s pairs two homegrown New Jersey brands, both on a path of tremendous growth and success over the past several years. Rutgers men’s basketball took its place among the nation’s top teams, earning its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years and capturing a first-round win, making good on head coach Steve Pikiell’s pledge to make the program a March Madness contender. Women’s basketball continues to add NCAA Tournament berths to its historic record, advancing to its 26th postseason, including 17th consecutive under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer.
Rutgers wrestling added two National Championship banners to the arena rafters, epitomizing the continued ascension to the top ranks of college athletics. The success Rutgers Athletics has enjoyed in competition aligns with Jersey Mike’s unmatched growth. This year, Jersey Mike’s ranks seventh on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, the company’s third year on the top-10 list.
A passionate fan base has helped fuel many of the Rutgers Athletics programs that call Jersey Mike’s Arena home, including the men’s basketball team, which currently has a sellout streak of nine-straight games. Home attendance for wrestling continues to be one of the highest in the country, as Rutgers was fourth nationally in attendance following the 2019-20 season. The success of these programs attracts several hundred thousand spectators each season who will travel in and out of Jersey Mike’s Arena. Widely seen as one of the loudest venues in the country, the arena offers one of the best home court advantages in college athletics.
Founded in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, the storefront location was originally called Mike’s Subs. In 1975, Cancro, a 17-year-old high school senior who had worked there since he was 14, bought the operation with the help of his football coach. He grew the business into a successful franchise, with over 2,000 locations nationwide.
Jersey Mike’s believes that making a sub sandwich and making a difference can be one and the same. With a history steeped in philanthropic endeavors, Jersey Mike’s locations across the country have raised over $65 million for local charities in the last decade alone. Several community service initiatives mark the calendar for Jersey Mike’s, including the Annual Month of Giving, which has raised more than $47 million since its inception in 2011.
As part of the agreement, Jersey Mike’s will enjoy significant brand exposure through signage in and around the arena, including exterior stadium signage, scoreboard signage, campus directional signage and logo placement on the court. Additionally, Jersey Mike’s will receive promotion through a variety of print, digital, radio and television assets.
The live television broadcasts of nearly all home men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball matches offer Jersey Mike’s national exposure. For several of the Scarlet Knights’ sporting events that are streamed digitally, the Jersey Mike’s brand will be visible on a global stage. Van Wagner represented Jersey Mike’s in the negotiations.
About Rutgers
The Rutgers Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (Rutgers Athletics), comprised of 24 men’s and women’s varsity sports serving more than 650 student-athletes, is a member of the Big Ten Conference and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Rutgers is the Birthplace of College Football, hosting the first-ever collegiate matchup on Nov. 6, 1869, a 6-4 victory over Princeton. Rutgers Athletics is uniquely positioned in the nation’s largest media market with over seven million television households, along with access to Big Ten Network and its nearly 60 million homes across the U.S. and Canada. Established in 1766, Rutgers University is the State University of New Jersey and eighth-oldest higher education institution in the country. As a premier academic institution, Rutgers is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. Also visit ScarletKnights.com for additional information on Rutgers Athletics.
About Jersey Mike’s
Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,000 locations nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflected in its mission statement: “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
About Van Wagner
Van Wagner, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Van Wagner Group LLC, creates, advises, and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands, properties, and colleges. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA, and the highest levels of international soccer, sponsorships sales, premium ticketing, college multi-media rights, and in-venue content production at the world’s biggest sporting events. www.vanwagner.com.
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PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 3, 2021) – Rutgers Athletics and Jersey Mike’s Subs have reached a multi-year agreement to make the fast-casual sub sandwich franchise an official naming rights partner of Rutgers Athletics. The newly named Jersey Mike’s Arena is home to nationally-recognized programs in men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball, in addition to future concerts and events. (Watch video)
“Jersey Mike’s is the perfect partner for Rutgers Athletics,” said Pat Hobbs, Rutgers Director of Athletics. “Our New Jersey brand extends beyond our borders; it is a state of mind that speaks to our core values of grit and the pursuit of excellence. Jersey Mike’s is an organization also engaged in the relentless pursuit of excellence, so what better partner for the State University of New Jersey?”
“Rutgers University is a home state neighbor that shares our values of excellence and community involvement,” said Peter Cancro, founder and CEO, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “Jersey Mike’s is proud to partner with Rutgers Athletics and celebrate the school’s many dedicated student-athletes and their fans.”
“We are pleased to partner with a Jersey-born company committed to making a difference through its generous giving to charities,” said Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway. “Jersey’s Mike’s philanthropic history aligns with our core values that center on outreach to our communities and a relentless pursuit of excellence in all we do.”
This partnership between Rutgers and Jersey Mike’s pairs two homegrown New Jersey brands, both on a path of tremendous growth and success over the past several years. Rutgers men’s basketball took its place among the nation’s top teams, earning its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years and capturing a first-round win, making good on head coach Steve Pikiell’s pledge to make the program a March Madness contender. Women’s basketball continues to add NCAA Tournament berths to its historic record, advancing to its 26th postseason, including 17th consecutive under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer.
Rutgers wrestling added two National Championship banners to the arena rafters, epitomizing the continued ascension to the top ranks of college athletics. The success Rutgers Athletics has enjoyed in competition aligns with Jersey Mike’s unmatched growth. This year, Jersey Mike’s ranks seventh on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, the company’s third year on the top-10 list.
A passionate fan base has helped fuel many of the Rutgers Athletics programs that call Jersey Mike’s Arena home, including the men’s basketball team, which currently has a sellout streak of nine-straight games. Home attendance for wrestling continues to be one of the highest in the country, as Rutgers was fourth nationally in attendance following the 2019-20 season. The success of these programs attracts several hundred thousand spectators each season who will travel in and out of Jersey Mike’s Arena. Widely seen as one of the loudest venues in the country, the arena offers one of the best home court advantages in college athletics.
Founded in 1956 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, the storefront location was originally called Mike’s Subs. In 1975, Cancro, a 17-year-old high school senior who had worked there since he was 14, bought the operation with the help of his football coach. He grew the business into a successful franchise, with over 2,000 locations nationwide.
Jersey Mike’s believes that making a sub sandwich and making a difference can be one and the same. With a history steeped in philanthropic endeavors, Jersey Mike’s locations across the country have raised over $65 million for local charities in the last decade alone. Several community service initiatives mark the calendar for Jersey Mike’s, including the Annual Month of Giving, which has raised more than $47 million since its inception in 2011.
As part of the agreement, Jersey Mike’s will enjoy significant brand exposure through signage in and around the arena, including exterior stadium signage, scoreboard signage, campus directional signage and logo placement on the court. Additionally, Jersey Mike’s will receive promotion through a variety of print, digital, radio and television assets.
The live television broadcasts of nearly all home men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball matches offer Jersey Mike’s national exposure. For several of the Scarlet Knights’ sporting events that are streamed digitally, the Jersey Mike’s brand will be visible on a global stage. Van Wagner represented Jersey Mike’s in the negotiations.
About Rutgers
The Rutgers Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (Rutgers Athletics), comprised of 24 men’s and women’s varsity sports serving more than 650 student-athletes, is a member of the Big Ten Conference and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Rutgers is the Birthplace of College Football, hosting the first-ever collegiate matchup on Nov. 6, 1869, a 6-4 victory over Princeton. Rutgers Athletics is uniquely positioned in the nation’s largest media market with over seven million television households, along with access to Big Ten Network and its nearly 60 million homes across the U.S. and Canada. Established in 1766, Rutgers University is the State University of New Jersey and eighth-oldest higher education institution in the country. As a premier academic institution, Rutgers is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. Also visit ScarletKnights.com for additional information on Rutgers Athletics.
About Jersey Mike’s
Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,000 locations nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflected in its mission statement: “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
About Van Wagner
Van Wagner, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Van Wagner Group LLC, creates, advises, and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands, properties, and colleges. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA, and the highest levels of international soccer, sponsorships sales, premium ticketing, college multi-media rights, and in-venue content production at the world’s biggest sporting events. www.vanwagner.com.
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