SNL Spins Rutgers’ PR Disaster Into Comedy Gold

There is no greater evidence that a public relations debacle has become part of the cultural consciousness than making Saturday Night Live — so today we offer our very bittersweet congratulations to Rutgers University for finding its way into the zeitgeist via a big old PR fail.

The revered higher education brand suffered a PR meltdown last week as video featuring the school’s basketball coach Mike Rice abusing his players surfaced and quickly went viral. The coach was fired and the athletic director resigned, though both are receiving handsome payouts as they depart.