Saddled with mounting debt, poor on-field results and diminishing television value…

The Knights are also only 3-12 in Big Ten play over the last two seasons. Yet, in the announcement that Schiano would be returning, Rutgers athletics director Keli Zinn made it clear that this decision had nothing to do with accepting the results.

"Our results are not acceptable for the expectations we have for our football program and for the athletics program we are building," Zinn said. "However, I also have an obligation to make decisions that serve the best long-term interests of Rutgers University.

"Let me be very clear: this decision is not reflective of a lowering of standards or an indication that everything is fine. This is instead a reflection of my belief that we have an opportunity to make meaningful changes that will strengthen our roster and better position our program to compete and win at a higher level."

I'll translate that for you: "We know we're not playing well enough right now but we don't have the money to pay Greg Schiano and his staff to go away, replace them with a new one, and then be able to put a roster on the field that can compete." If Rutgers were to fire Schiano now, it would owe him a little more than a $17 million buyout.