The Rutgers Athletic Center, or The RAC as it’s often called, is home to the Rutgers men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as hosting wrestling, gymnastics and various events.
Opened in 1977, the RAC is one of the great arenas in the nation to watch college basketball. The fans are right on top of the action. It's also the perfect-sized venue to see a game. This 8,000 seat arena has been dubbed, “louder than a 757 from nearby Newark.” The RAC is definitely one of the toughest college basketball arenas in the nation for opponents.
The arena served as the home of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets from 1977 until 1981, when the Brendan Byrne Arena opened at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
The Grateful Dead played at the RAC on May 15, 1981 and are one of numerous musical groups to jam in Piscataway. The Allman Brothers, Frank Zappa, Cheap Trick, Supertramp, Steve Winwood, Styx and R.E.M. have also performed within its confines.
Since 2014, the RAC has served as home to the Rutgers University Dance Marathon. More than 1,700 dancers and nearly 300 volunteers raised more than $1 million for Embrace Kids Foundation at the event in 2017.
