Looks like Maryland is on the way

Submitted by MGlobules on

An article placed at cbs sports an hour ago says Maryland will vote as early as tomorrow on their invitation to join the Big Ten. Says that university's biggest donor backs the move. Hard to imagine that this is not a twofer deal, with Rutgers right behind. 

The article notes that the $50 million exit fee might be a stumbling block for Maryland. But from what I've read elsewhere the league may take all or part out of future revenue to the school.

Perhaps it's been noted elsewhere, but this gives the Big Ten access to 35% of the nation's viewers, bringing in the DC and NY areas, and extends the league across a fairly contiguous--that is, plausible--swath of the country, from Nebraska to the Atlantic coast. I realize that Rutgers and Maryland aren't the most appetizing draws in an immediate sense, but I like having the league entering NY and DC, taking in part of the South now, too. (And there's no reason why those schools cannot get better, including in football.) Obviously, the expanded TV revenue is the big draw for the league itself. Will be interesting to see if the league uses the pretext of expansion to reconfigure the divisions, which are pretty unpopular, at least here.

Link:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/2…

lhglrkwg

November 18th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^

So what if the BTN is on basic cable in these areas, no one is going to watch it. No one over here really cares about Rutgers or Maryland like B1G states care about their B1G teams.

goblue_jb

November 18th, 2012 at 8:43 PM ^

don't forget about all the BIG alums in the area who'd be watching! although most of us already pay the coupla bucks a month to get BTN on our cable package.  Michigan and PSU alone probably have at least 50,000 alumni in the tristate metro area..

im not a fan of any of this btw... just playing devils advocate on this small point.

but yes, no one cares about rutgers here, not even most rutgers alums. terrible fit for the BIG. i dont know enough about maryland to comment on that.

the only upside to this turrible idea is the promise of a Michigan game in NJ every few years.  selfishly, this is convenient, and that stadium would offer a pretty friendly 'road' environment similiar to Northwestern.

BlueGoM

November 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^

I don't get it.  What does Maryland bring to the table?

Who else are we getting to balance out the league?

Also

Will another main character die on The Walking Dead?

 

MGoBender

November 18th, 2012 at 9:18 PM ^

Spoiler dude. Spoiler. I'm getting caught up on the series now. Granted there obviously is going to be a main character that dies in this type of show, but as of Season 2 Episode 9, I hadn't given it much thought.

rederik

November 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^

FUCK this and fuck the Big Ten if this is seriously happens. Greed is trumping concerns over football & fit; and I wish they'd realize how much they're diluting the B10 "brand" with these POS schools they're adding!

TheGhostofYost

November 18th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^

FUCK. I am so goddamn sick of money dominating everything.  College football is being destroyed.  FUCK FUCK FUCK.

UMRecruitingFannatic

November 18th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^

Bottomfeeding bottomfeeder teams from nearly bottomfeeding conferences.  Should we just round out expansion now with Western Kentucky and Marshall?  That would "expand the Big 10's footprint and bring in more states/viewers" too.  Probably more than Rutgers for God's sake.  It's a damn commuter school!

Doc Brown

November 18th, 2012 at 8:16 PM ^

There is a Dennis Dodd article stating this move may just be a single move for a long term plan to loosen the ACC's grips on the North Carolina schools (minus Wake).  If the long term plan is to bring UNC and Duke and screw over Notre Dame, then Delany is an evil genius. 

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/21030684/delanys-long-term-play-for-big-ten-network-riches-maryland-rutgers-to-big-ten

FreddieMercuryHayes

November 18th, 2012 at 8:39 PM ^

There's not way that if the ACC and the B1G go to war that the ACC wins.  Money wins in the end, and the B1G has the most.  Stop deluding yourself that NDs semi-ACC move is actually some evil genius plan.  There's also a good chance it blows up in your face (football wise at least).

BOX House

November 18th, 2012 at 8:19 PM ^

Maybe I'm alone, but what is the point of conferences anymore? There is no regionality to it anymore. Boise State to the Big East? Maryland and Rutgers in the B10? Ugh. 

Jeff09

November 18th, 2012 at 8:27 PM ^

I feel like the size of the fanbase is more important than the region it's located in.  I would bet that Michigan has more viewers on the east coast watching Big Ten games already than Rutgers and Maryland will add combined.  We already have an east coast presence between us and PSU

UMRecruitingFannatic

November 18th, 2012 at 8:40 PM ^

No, they're replacing Rutgers in the Big East now.  It makes more sense that way...

God, if this actually happens I CANNOT WAIT to see the public relations horse shit they shovel the fans' way about having increasing visibility, improving academic cooperation, increasing applications to member schools, helping non-revenue sports, beating the SEC, economies of scale, having a larger geographic footprint than the Big East, increasing government funding, lower travel costs, sharing ideas, lowering the costs of meal plans for students, increasing viewers for field hockey events, more zambonies, larger dorm rooms, warmer winters, and ending world hunger.

I'll accept Delany's drivel if he simply ends the news conference with, "You love tradition?  You want tradition?  FUCK TRADITION."  And slams the mic on top of an 80 year old alumnus' head.

PS - Interesting that Dave Brandon is on 60 Minutes right now talking about revenue... and olny revenue.

smwilliams

November 18th, 2012 at 8:27 PM ^

Both my fiance and two best friends are Maryland alums. They are displeased with this move. The football program actually drew pretty well when I was living in College Park, but that was during the Fridge era where they made an Orange Bowl one year, but the main concern is basketball and the "rivalries" with Duke and North Carolina.

We are moving towards 5 super conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) and the self-named "Group of Five". My guess is Big 10 adds Maryland and Rutgers, Big 12 adds Louisville and Cincy. ACC adds UConn. Pac 12 might add BYU and another school they feel could add towards their television markets.

As far as adding Rutgers, that gets a big "meh" from me.

Don

November 18th, 2012 at 8:28 PM ^

Red Division (teams that have red or maroon among their official colors)

OSU, WISC, NEB, RUT, IU, MINN, MARY

Not-Red Division (teams that don't)

UM, MSU, PSU, NU, PU, IA, IL

Don

November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^

right before the end of the world. Mass insanity and hysteria. So I guess the Mayans were right after all. Dammit, I wanted another crack at USC.

GoBluePhil

November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^

Just a football move. There are the women's sports and of course basketball and lacrosse teams that will benefit from this move. Yes football drives the revenue bus and it sucks for football, but for all the other athletes in all the other sports, this isn't a bad move.

UMxWolverines

November 18th, 2012 at 8:31 PM ^

Jim, you did good when you created the Big Ten network. You did good when you picked up Nebraska.

You didn't do very good when you created the new logo and divisions, and this would probably be worse than that.