Veteran sports reporter Tom Luicci keeps Scarlet Knights fans in the loop
Wondering who’s the starting quarterback? Want to know more about your favorite athlete?
“Ask R Tom,” a new feature on ScarletKnights.com, the university’s official athletics website, lets Rutgers fans interact directly with Rutgers’ sports teams and the athletics department.
Via “Ask R Tom,” Tom Luicci, a veteran sports reporter and Rutgers’ senior director of digital media, has become the voice for Scarlet Knights fans. His column will feature highlights, videos, practice reports, player features and coach Q&As.
“Fan engagement is the goal,” says Luicci. “We want fans to have access to someone in the Athletic Department who can provide an insider’s perspective.”
Luicci encourages Scarlet Knights fans to keep his email address -- tluicci@scarletknights.com -- and to reach out to him with their athletics inquiries.
“Email me to voice complaints, concerns, criticisms or compliments. I can’t promise answers to every question, but I will do my best to address as many as I can,” he says.
A New Jersey native, Luicci has considered the university his second home for the past four decades. He graduated from Rutgers with a degree in English literature in 1977 and served as sports editor of The Daily Targum student newspaper for three consecutive academic years. He then spent 35 years as a sportswriter at The Star-Ledger in Newark.
As senior director of digital media, Luicci not only engages fans and provides content for ScarletKnights.com but also advises athletics and university leadership regarding media and messaging strategies.
“The opportunity to use his extensive experience to create an information portal for our fans and many criticial constituents is vital to take advantage of our new Big Ten national stage,” said Julie Hermann, Rutgers’ director of intercollegiate athletics, in an April 10 statement announcing Luicci’s new role.