Rutgers Athletics introduced the new Marco Battaglia Practice Complex. The new state of the art facility is named after former consensus All-American and Big East Offensive Player of the Year. The complex will be the practice site for the football program.
“Today is a special day for our football program,” head coach Chris Ash said in remarks dedicating the facility. “This project took a lot of time and effort and it shows that the people in this state and at Rutgers University can get things done and make a difference. I want to thank Pat Hobbs, the administration, the Towers family and supporters for their commitment. We look forward to getting the most out of this facility as we work to build a first-class football program.”
The new facility features two new Kentucky Bluegrass fields equipped with a state-of-the-art drainage and irrigation system. A separate FieldTurf playing surface with CoolPlay technology was installed, providing the Scarlet Knights with an additional area for practice drills. The complex has been fitted with a high-powered Musco LED light system.
Marco Battaglia was a consensus All-American that ended his career ranked first in the RU record book amongst tight ends in reception yards (2,221), receptions (171), touchdowns (16) and 100-yard games (seven). As a senior captain in 1995, Battaglia was a unanimous first team All-American and led the nation’s tight ends with 69 catches for 894 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to being named Big East Offensive Player of the Year.