Rutgers has agreed to a multi-year deal with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, naming the state's largest health insurer as the "official health insurance partner of the Scarlet Knights.''

While financial terms of the deal aren't immediately known, Rutgers Athletics Director Pat Hobbs and Horizon BCBSNJ president Kevin Conlin are expected to formally announce the partnership Saturday during the football team's Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday afternoon at HighPoint.com Stadium.

"We are thrilled to announce this great partnership with Horizon BCBSNJ,'' Hobbs said in a statement obtained by NJ Advance Media. "This is a tremendous opportunity to harness the reach of Rutgers Athletics with the state's largest health insurer to positively affect countless New Jersey residents.''

Conlin, a Rutgers football player in the late 1970s, said the state university and Horizon BCBSNJ have existing medical-research partnerships in place and noted the academic connections in which many Horizon BCBSNJ leaders serve as guest lecturers or professors in university classrooms.

"This partnership brings New Jersey's largest insurer and New Jersey's largest university together in a new way to support the state's top college athletes and help Rutgers students, alumni, and fans lead healthier and more active lives,'' Conlin said. "Horizon and Rutgers share a common commitment to New Jersey and both are proud to be leaders recognized for driving innovations that improve the lives of every New Jerseyan. Horizon has a long history of working with Rutgers on academic, research, and philanthropic activities, so this new partnership builds on what is already a very strong relationship between two New Jersey-proud institutions.''

Rutgers officials termed the deal as a "community partnership,'' saying they will use their collective reach, popularity and influence to "positively affect New Jersey families'' in the following initiatives that will be evident at football games this fall:

Game-day wellness activities at the new Horizon BCBSNJ Fan Corner: Located in the southeast corner of HighPoint.com Stadium, it will provide light health screenings, health education and wellness activities, and special opportunities to meet Rutgers football alumni players.

Healthy food options on game-day: Horizon Healthy Huddle will offer fans at two concourse concession stands a nutritional menu co-developed by Horizon and Rutgers food and nutrition experts. The healthy concession will also operate at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) for basketball and other sports activities.

Supporting New Jersey's youth: Horizon BCBSNJ and Rutgers' student athletes will visit schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the state to promote health and wellness initiatives.

Horizon BCBSNJ and Rutgers will provide local-youth community organizations with tickets and unique experiences at select games.

Rutgers Athletics and Horizon BCBSNJ collaboration on several health and wellness initiatives, including the R Fit program.

Co-branded messaging at games serving the New Brunswick, Newark and Camden campuses to further advance our community outreach to promote health awareness and education.

"Our mission to support the health and well-being of our student-athletes,'' Hobbs said, "is perfectly aligned with the goal of Horizon BCBSNJ to educate and create awareness on the benefits of leading healthier lifestyles.''

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.