Maryland to the big ten rumors

Submitted by ak47 on

So the maryland sports board I read has been chirping about talks between Maryland the big ten.  Anybody hear about any of these rumors from the big side?  Since minnesota isn't beating nebraska i figured I could ask.

BlueHills

November 17th, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^

This isn't the first time we've heard Maryland and Rutgers' names in connection with B1G expansion. Clearly, Delany and Co. are interested in expanding the Eastern footprint.

Presumably they've done their homework and feel that the numbers make sense.

What's unusual this time is that someone leaked the information; the Nebraska discussions were in secret. It wouldn't surprise me if someone opposing the move at Maryland made the fact of negotiations public to throw a monkey wrench into the works and prevent the school having to fund a 50 million dollar buyout.

 

 

maizeonblueaction

November 17th, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^

that if this were more tied to at least consistent basketball and "other" sports powers, I would be much more intrigued. I feel like we could at least get Kansas/K-State who have been pretty good at basketball and K-State is obviously having football success. Same with UNC/Duke/UVA/GA Tech, etc. Some combination of that would get us into Southern markets with large talent bases and new BTN subscribers. If Maryland, as an ACC school, is willing to seriously discuss leaving even with the exit fees, I have to believe there are more prominent/lucrative options on the table.

Avant's Hands

November 17th, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^

I can understand this argument against Rutgers, but Maryland is ten years removed from a national championship in basketball, their women's team is top 10 pretty much year, lacrosse is a top team, I believe they have won multiple national championships recently in field hockey, and their soccer team is typically very good. They bring quite a bit in the "other" sports categories. Just not football. They are basically Minnesota there. Fire the coach that gives them a good team because he isn't taking them to BCS games and now they suck. 

mgoblue0970

November 17th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^

There is plenty of big time talent in NJ/MD area.  They just cannot keep their in state talent.  If you're a 4 or 5 star recruit, which do exist there, do you really want to go Rutgers or Maryland? Ummm, no.

ndscott50

November 17th, 2012 at 6:24 PM ^

I know that things get ridiculous around college sports but the ACC buyout is $50 million. How could you possibly justify paying that to move conferences? It seems like all hell would break loose when they issue yet another tuition increase next year.

ghost

November 17th, 2012 at 6:38 PM ^

The increase in tv money and probably the assumption that the big10 will have more teams qualify for the playoff/ contract bowls then the ACC would (the ACC is basically FSU and Clemson and it has been for a while)

ndscott50

November 17th, 2012 at 7:01 PM ^

Looks like they would get an extra 4 million per year from the BIG (assuming the pot grows enough to fund 14 teams at the same rate as 12) this would be a 12.5 year payback assuming they don't have to finance the buyout. If you discount the cash flow the appropriate price is significantly below 50 million.

Wolverine In Exile

November 17th, 2012 at 6:25 PM ^

Maryland also has a strong political delegation and a lot of bureaucrats in the DC capitol region. If we all believe the B1G is more than an athletic conference (the research pooling, AAU membership preference), the addition of Maryland & rutgers gives the conference more clout in DC, and greedily for me, more access for B1G universities to Goddard Space Flight Center.

Athletically, it's a wash to me... these two schools aren't going t ochange the athletic dynamics in football or basketball that much except for giving Penn St a now natural set of rivals and probably forcing the conference to go geographic based divisions. this may be worth it in and of itsellf.

ChalmersE

November 17th, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^

Maryland's football program is abysmal and no one in the dc area gives a damn. They're averaging 37000 and that's with giveaways and Groupons. Even if they sell out, they only can hold about 45000. It does have excellent soccer, lacrosse and basketball programs.

now_a_hoo

November 17th, 2012 at 6:35 PM ^

Both Maryland and Rutgers have major athletic funding problems from facilities projects in the last decade or so. Maryland was having money problems before the Friedgen firing due to the way they structured their basketball stadium financing, and Rutgers is having serious money problems due to their football stadium expansion. Why would the B1G want to do business with these departments, particularly since you can already get the BTN in large portions of their footprints?

Mr. Yost

November 17th, 2012 at 6:49 PM ^

ESPNU just reported they are serious negotiations and an announcement could come as early as Monday.

It would be Maryland and Rutgers to the B1G - UConn and one other the ACC.

ghost

November 17th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^

Assume/hope this ends like the Big10 network did for league.  No one thought it was a good idea at the time, but it sure turned out to be (for the conference)

Sambojangles

November 17th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^

This just feels random and out of the blue. I know these schools have been talked about before, but now? It seems like the B1G was stable and happy with 12--no reason to go crazy to try to get to 14 like the SEC and ACC did (and how are those conferences liking the additions now?).

Nebraska was plausible because their fanbase and history could justify it--they brought in at least their share of the total pie in bowl/TV money, even before counting the ability of the conference to stage the championship game.

Can Maryland and Rutgers bring enough in BTN subscriptions and ESPN contract money to not dilute the amount received by the rest of the conference?

Finally, from a fan standpoint, this further dilutes the conference feeling between the schools. Does anybody else remember what it's like to play Wisconsin? I don't really, since we haven't played them since 2010 and won't until 2015, barring a championship game appearance, obviously. If a 14 team conference only plays 8 conference games, you don't play the teams in the opposite division more often than you do. 

ChalmersE

November 17th, 2012 at 7:35 PM ^

1. ACC basketball is run by the Carolina schools. Maryland has been trying to get the ACC tourney to the DC area for generations and managed to achieve it once. 2. Second reason: B1G basketball is as good and right nw better than ACC basketball. 3. The benefit to all of the other Maryland athletic programs would far outweigh any loss in basketball.

Don

November 17th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^

If the conference adds Maryland and Rutgers, I think it's inevitable that we're going to 16, and we'll become the Big 16. That's why the new logo was done the way it was.

WOTS is that Ahmadinejibberjabber is a big Ohio State fan.

Frequency

November 17th, 2012 at 7:45 PM ^

Seriously, if we are trying to add schools now, why couldn't we have gotten Missouri a year ago instead? At the time I remember reading that they wanted to join the big ten, but went to the SEC when they were turned down. Would've been a much better fit than Maryland and/or Rutgers.

ChicagoB1GRed

November 17th, 2012 at 8:06 PM ^

it takes forever to play everyone on your conference. Its almost like the two divisions are separate conferences. Road travel becomes a burden for the student athletes and ridiculous for the fans. Isn't there enough money as things stand now?

ak47

November 17th, 2012 at 9:22 PM ^

I mean ann arbor to college park is closer and easier than getting to iowa or nebraska and I think relatively similar to illinois in terms of time though I could be wrong on that one.  Yeah dc to iowa is a trek but once you are flying like iowa is to penn st the extra half hour doesn't really count as additional burden.