An inside look at Rutgers hosting Senegal as a World Cup base camp

PISCATAWAY – The Kentucky bluegrass is looking immaculate at Rutgers University’s Miller Family Soccer Complex. It has to be, because a participant in the globe’s biggest sporting event is about to move in.

The Senegal national soccer team, which is ranked 14th in the world by FIFA and the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champion (a disputed matter – more on that in a bit), will use Rutgers as base camp during the World Cup. The delegation will utilize the Scarlet Knights‘ men’s and women’s soccer locker rooms, weight room, sports medicine center and team meeting space inside of the Gary and Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center.

The collaboration is seven years in the making and the product of an extensive vetting process, right down to the blades of grass.

“It’s historic for us,” deputy athletic director Matthew Colagiovanni said. “It’s an opportunity to get the best in the world to come here and train at our facilities and to showcase what our fields and our building are.”

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Rutgers is one of four base camps in New Jersey for the 2026 World Cup, which includes games at the Meadowlands and in Philadelphia. Brazil will be setting up at the Red Bulls’ facility in Morris Township, Morocco at the Pingry School in Bernards (which hosted Italy during the 1994 World Cup), and Haiti at Stockton University in Galloway.

The university’s involvement began in 2019, when Meadowlands officials reached out to gauge the athletic department’s interest in taking part. Base sites were chosen due to a couple of factors, first being geography. Senegal opens group-stage play June 16 against France at the Meadowlands, then faces Norway at the Meadowlands June 22 before wrapping up Group I action in Toronto June 26 against Iraq.

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Once the group draw was known, delegations from national teams slotted to play in the region began scouring potential base camps (the FIFA world rankings served as a pecking order for the choices). Rutgers hosted a dozen such visits and the staff knew exactly what to showcase, having hosted Portuguese club FC Porto during last summer’s Club World Cup as well as other touring international sides in the past.

“They really like coming here because of one, our practice fields are top class, but also our facility is close-knit – they can walk right onto the fields from the locker rooms,” said Dan Ryan, Rutgers’ senior associate athletic director for facilities, events and operations. “They’ve told us it’s one of the best they’ve seen.”

The setup is ideal for security and privacy purposes. The soccer complex consists of two full practice fields that are fully enclosed. No one has set foot on them for six weeks – except FIFA inspectors.

“They basically test the grass every week,” Ryan said.

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Senegal has been one of Africa’s most successful footballing nations over the past few decades. “The Lions of Teranga,” as they are nicknamed, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup and are making a third straight appearance in the event.

Earlier this year they defeated Morocco 1-0 in the Africa Cup of Nationals final, but that triumph later was declared a forfeit because Senegal players and coaches left the field for 15 minutes during stoppage time after a controversial call and an attempt by Morocco fans to storm the pitch. The matter is under appeal with the international Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Right now there are bigger fish to fry. The Senegal national team, whose players will be staying in downtown New Brunswick, is expected to arrive sometime during the week before their June 16 opener. There will be some sort of pep rally-style reception involving Rutgers’ band and spirit teams and perhaps a jersey exchange. Clips will be all over social media (FIFA will put up its own branding on the practice pitches).

In addition, expect to see “Rutgers Welcomes the World” billboards on the roadways and banners flying above Jersey’s beaches over the next several weeks.

“Hopefully this will lead to other partnerships in the future,” Colagiovanni said.

Senegal’s practices will be closed to onlookers. Whether there are any small-scale public events involving their stay at Rutgers is yet to be determined.  The length of the delegation’s stay depends on how far the team advances. It could be over a month.

One thing is certain for the folks who are hosting.

“We’re all Senegal fans now,” Ryan said.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: World Cup 2026, an inside look at Senegal base camp at Rutgers