Sports Rutgers athletics rang up a $73M deficit last year. Students, taxpayers were on the hook. January 19, 2022Abbott Koloff and Jean Rimbach, NorthJersey.comComments Off on Rutgers athletics rang up a $73M deficit last year. Students, taxpayers were on the hook. Rutgers athletics spending reached an all-time high of $118 million in 2020-21. Direct university subsidies more than doubled, to nearly $28 million.