PISCATAWAY -- Not long after they arrived at Rutgers, Athletics Director Pat Hobbs and football coach Chris Ash were grilled with a question that had to do with ... a grill?
It was during a town-hall meeting with students last March when the two most recognizable figures in Rutgers athletics were pressed on the popular breakfast meat called Taylor ham.
Or is it called "pork roll?''
There was a split, with Hobbs choosing Taylor ham and Ash picking pork roll. Then, the Rutgers athletics Twitter handle tried to settle the debate and two-thirds of the 651 voters favored the term "pork roll.''
A B1G topic tonight was Taylor Ham (Team Hobbs) vs Pork Roll (Team @CoachChrisAsh). Let's settle this thing, Jersey.
-- Rutgers Athletics (@RUAthletics) March 24, 2016
The pork-based meat product has been labeled Taylor ham since it was developed in 1856 in Trenton by John Taylor. As other companies began copying the product, it became known as "pork roll.''
In June, NJ.com sought to end the debate with a fan poll. Nearly 55 percent of the more than 70,000 voters sided with pork roll.
Results of pork roll vs. Taylor ham
And now the debate returns to Rutgers on Saturday, when the Scarlet Knights play host to Minnesota for a 12 p.m. tipoff at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Rutgers officials are encouraging fans to help settle the long-standing Garden State battle by selecting a corresponding T-shirt upon entering the RAC.
Fans can express their vote via the Rutgers athletics Twitter page in a poll, and one fan will win eight pounds of the pork-based product during a "Minute of Madness'' contest.
New Jersey's greatest debate comes to the RAC on Saturday...Taylor Ham(r) or Pork Roll!?[?]
Which side are you on?
[?] https://t.co/zZBizUquNB pic.twitter.com/jS3DMzA8XB
-- Rutgers Athletics (@RUAthletics) February 9, 2017
After Hobbs and Ash chose their respective sides, Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale agreed with the Scarlet Knights football coach's opinion by choosing "pork roll.''
@rydunleavy pork roll egg and cheese down the shore !!!
-- Coach Scott Goodale (@CoachGoodale) March 24, 2016
As for Steve Pikiell's choice, the Rutgers men's basketball coach is non-committal.
"Boy, I have Minnesota on my mind,'' Pikiell told a pack of reporters Friday. "Depends on who I'm recruiting. We'll leave it at that.''
Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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