OTB Staff: 3 Bold Predictions for 2026-2027 Rutgers Sports

Oct 7, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights football helmets sit on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

As the 2025-2026 athletic year nears its end, with just the spring sports left to play, it is time to look ahead to the 2026-2027 athletic year. We here at On The Banks will each make three bold predictions about what the next year of Rutgers sports might have in store for us. Let us know what you think about our predictions in the comments below!

Andrew Rice

No.1: Rutgers Will Continue It’s Upward Trajectory in the NIL World and Be Recognized For It

The strides that Rutgers has made in the past year in the world of NIL have been a shock, to say the least. After being dead last in the conference in terms of NIL due to having an Athletic Director who refused to adapt to the modern state of college sports, we know now that the current administration has catapulted the school forward to make it so that they are at least competitive in the NIL space. That all happened in one year. Less than that, all happened in roughly 8-9 months since Keli Zinn was hired as AD back in July. So far, the department hasn’t given us a reason to think that it won’t continue, and if sports such as women’s basketball and football show improvement this season, there is no reason why they can’t take the Rutgers NIL program to greater heights.

The success of such a drastic turnaround in the NIL world in what would be just under two years will get Rutgers some notoriety for it, even if they still aren’t one of the top earners in the NIL space.

No.2: Women’s Basketball Makes Significant Strides and Finishes Around 9th in the Conference in Redus’ First Season

Redus’ has already rolled up his sleeves and gotten to work in the transfer portal, bringing in several young players with starting experience in the SEC ranks. It doesn’t look like he is done either. This infusion of talent, coupled with his energy and modern college basketball philosophy as head coach, will allow Rutgers to leap over some of the weaker teams in the conference.

No.3: Rutgers Makes a Head Coaching Change for Women’s Volleyball

Turning our head to a sport that isn’t talked about a lot, the unfortunate truth is that Rutgers women’s volleyball has endured losing season after losing season since Caitlin Schweihofer took over in 2021. Since her hiring, their high-water mark for wins in a season is 12, and with their best Big Ten record being set at 3-17. While a sport such as this may not be super high up on the department’s list of priorities, the current administration has already sent a clear message that they care a lot about women’s sports and that they will do what they can to ensure that their teams are competitive.

Greg Patuto

No. 1: Football earns upset win, still misses bowl game

It was a season to forget for Greg Schiano and Rutgers last season. Expectations are not high once again, with the win total set at 4.5 for the 2026 season. This means the Scarlet Knights will have to exceed this number by over one win to reach a bowl game. Let’s not forget, Rutgers will take on the likes of Indiana, Michigan, and Penn State next season.

Other games include USC, Maryland, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Nebraska in conference play. Michigan State ends the season. Maybe a good end to the year at home? Rutgers has chances to earn an upset victory this season. It’s time that the home fans get a chance to celebrate a big win. But that does not mean that the team will get to six wins.

No. 2: NIL growth makes an impact on the basketball court

Athletic Director Keli Zinn came in to lead a regime that was interested in improving the NIL standard at Rutgers. This is going to go far in helping the big sports succeed, and we got a small taste this week. It was reported that Rutgers spent big resources to land Mia and Mya Pauldo in the transfer portal. The prediction is that they will not be the first. Whether it be Men’s or Women’s Basketball, Rutgers getting in a better place in the NIL world will go a long way in building winners.

No. 3: Rutgers Wrestling crowns new All-American despite losses in lineup

The Scarlet Knights received big news this week as heavyweight Daniel Herrera committed. This fills a hole in the lineup that would not have been filled in-house. The team came into the offseason looking to replace six senior starters. There will be new faces in the lineup, including Herrera, for a team that has not had an All-American in two years despite finishing 11th in the nation this year. Anthony Knox (125) and Brandt Harer (141) expect to be standouts for the Scarlet Knights next season. After two years, Rutgers will finish the season with an All-American once again.

Arnav Sarkar

No 1. Another non-revenue sport jumps off the page

Rutgers has had a strong field hockey program, and has made waves in swimming and diving, track and field, rowing, and most recently, gymnastics, as the gymnastics team made the NCAA Tournament and advanced in the regionals before bowing out against #1 Oklahoma. The women’s lacrosse team just secured an upset victory over #6 Michigan before tripling up Oregon, and both lacrosse teams are ranked. This trend will continue next year, as a non-revenue sport most have not been paying attention to will quietly make the Rutgers faithful proud.

No 2. Men’s basketball finishes in the 10-12 range next season

After years of downturn, Steve Pikiell’s squad has been falling further and further away from their identity and from the glory of March Madness. But with Jamichael Davis, Gevonte Ware, Lino Mark, and hopefully Tariq Francis returning for next season, men’s basketball has the chance to build on its foundation. Without the pressure of high expectations, the Knights can build back towards making a tournament run, but I predict that they avoid the bottom of the conference and return to punching above their weight class.

No 3. Football knocks off Wisconsin for the first time in program history, finishes 7-5

Rutgers has been averse to beating teams “better” than them, and I expressed my frustrations in the past with Iowa serving as a perennial obstacle for the Knights. Still, Wisconsin has represented a similar roadblock in the upper-middle portion of the conference. The Badgers were reeling last season at 4-8, and an eventual 4-8 Maryland went into Camp Randall and secured a 17-point victory.

It is past time for Rutgers to get an “upset” victory over one of these teams, and this year, it likely would not be an upset, given that Antwan Raymond and KJ Duff return on offense. At the same time, the defense should be at least somewhat improved, given their new coaching staff and a more viable scheme under Travis Johansen.

The Knights knock off the Badgers and have a familiar “road warriors” season, in which they take down Boston College, Maryland, Northwestern, and Wisconsin away from SHI Stadium, while the home fans are subjected to losses against the defending champions, Michigan, USC, and even Nebraska. But the flip is real during the final two weeks, when Rutgers fails to knock off Matt Campbell’s Penn State at Beaver Stadium but ruins a potential bowl bid for Michigan State on senior day at home to reverse last year’s painful ending.