Maryland to big ten official
Don't have a non-insider link but according to sources in MD the UMD board of regents voted today to join the big ten. On the bright side of all of this maybe they will rename the divisions, so that might be something. Here is the link if you are interested http://maryland.247sports.com/Article/Source-Maryland-to-the-Big-10-102…
Update: Brett Mcmurphy reporting vote to join as well and tomvh retweeted it so that counts as official for me.
Also for people hating on MD, besides bringing the baltimore/dc metro market which is the 4th largest in the country, it also brings aau membership, the third most wins in acc basketball behind only unc and duke, elite lacrosse and soccer teams on both the mens and womens side, access to the best basketball recruitng hotbed in the country, a football team that has been to the bcs more than michigan state (I just thought that was funny) and other benefits. While its football program probably tops out at mediocare so does most of the big ten, and honestly most bcs football schools in general, I'm not happy about the move for personal reason but if the big ten wants to keep expanding there aren't really a lot of better viable options than Maryland.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:55 AM ^
It's not viewership, it's the carriage charges that the Big 10 network gets from every subscriber if it's on basic cable in the MD/DC/NoVa (doubtful) area.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 11:04 AM ^
Its about basketball at MD, indiana football doesn't really sell out but the big ten still gets its money from indiana tv sets, same will be true with md
November 19th, 2012 at 11:06 AM ^
I doubt Delany would be doing this unless he had a good feel that cable companies in the footprint would put BTN on basic cable. If there's one thing he's shown, it's an understanding of how those companies operate and the ability to successfully negotiate with them.
I think the New York market is still a question, mainly because Cablevision is somewhat of a lone operator, but I think all the other companies that serve the new footprint are companies that the Big 10 has dealt with in expanding the network throughout the footprint.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:13 AM ^
I believe that Fox and the Big Ten will try to use the YES Network as a way to get the BTN on to basic cable in NJ and NYC. With Fox having a large stake in both networks, it only makes sense that they'll tell Comcast/Cablevision/Etc.: you don't get YES without the BTN being on basic.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
That makes a lot of sense. YES is a huge bargaining chip in the city.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:47 AM ^
it won't be that difficult to get tickets for road games. Road trip FTW!
November 19th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
I was there for a Thursday night game in 2000 against FSU and that place was 3/4 full. There was no sweet Capital One logos then. FSU was only #2 in the country at the time so I guess that's not a big deal. I left at halftime and I think the final was like 59-7 or something awful like that.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:32 AM ^
Please add Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech to counter (or clemson, Miami, or Louisville anybody!). Please.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:33 AM ^
The idiocy of the phrase "maybe official."
Come on now...
November 19th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
well it pretty much was but i had no verifiable link so i wanted to qualify it, also im studying for a french test. looks like major news outlets have picked up on it so if i knew how to change the title i would make it official
November 19th, 2012 at 10:39 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
Ugh, more body bag teams in a conference with already a weak reputation. Think they'll expand to 9 conference games? It would kinda blows to lose flexibility for a good OOC matchup, but then again we always have a cupcake game anyway.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:38 AM ^
other "super"-conferences and the end of our Notre Dame series are both making it much harder to schedule good OOC games. Scheduling two good OOC games a year is becoming much much more difficult. Hopefully we can counter this by playing one more good BIG team each season.
November 19th, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
Maryland is a strong addition to the conference's basketball lineup. Not so hot lately, but historically, they good. As for Rutgers though...who knows. Guess everyone in the conference in football/basketball gets and extra W or two each season now.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:37 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:40 AM ^
I had read in another article if they met the August 2013 deadline, that would be the earliest they could get out.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:39 AM ^
Does this mean OSU gets a free ride to the B1G title game every year? If the divisions are split geographically, that means OSU could play Penn St, Maryland and Rutgers every year and have their division wrapped up before November.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:49 AM ^
If they go east and west I would assume Michigan goes east and they split up the Indiana schools
November 19th, 2012 at 10:56 AM ^
The key thing now from the Michigan fan perspective is to push for Michigan and OSU to be in the same division.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:01 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:42 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 12:56 PM ^
So having ABC games with the B1G instead of Clemson/FSU/VaTech will have no impact on recruiting in Baltimore/DC?
Sure. No talent EVER comes from Maryland and DC.
/s
November 19th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^
Well if the dream I had last night is any indication, the divisions will stay the same. Maryland goes into the Legends divisions to keep the "Ms, Ns, and Iowa" thing going, and Rutgers goes into the "Hey, half our teams wears red" division". Also, the Big Ten makes a reach and adds OHIO to the Big Ten because Northwestern apparently hates Delany and Delany sent them to the MAC
November 19th, 2012 at 10:42 AM ^
Written all over it. Can anyone tell me how this upgrades the conference? I'm not just talking about Football. When was the last time Maryland basketball was nationally relevant? Or Any of their other sports for that matter.....
Do NOT want. This move makes absolutely no sense to me.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:01 AM ^
Well, the Terrapins won a national basketball title in 2002 so I guess they've been "nationally relevant" more recently than, er, we have.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
That NC title is more recent than the B1G's last title. Plus their women's hoops team is very solid. But since this is a football move, I can't fully understand the logic. This still makes us a laughing stock comes bowl season. Who cares if we guarantee a team for the Pizza Bowl every year?
November 19th, 2012 at 10:43 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^
I think it was more Texas's fault
November 19th, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^
100% agreed. This had nothing to do with the PAC trying to get to 12 for a championship game. The Big XII's unequal revenue sharing scheme and the 500lb gorilla of that conference, Texas, deserve a lot of the blame for all this.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:44 AM ^
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
November 19th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^
This just feels like change for the sake of change... and obviously a way to increase BTN subscription by forcing it on to basic cable in the Mid-Atlantic / NYC area / Northeast. With News Corp. looking to buy the Yes Network and being partners in the BTN, they can demand that NYC cable companies add the BTN to their basic package or risk losing out on YES.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:46 AM ^
It's crazy if that's the reason this move is being made. It's sort of like planting an idea into someone's dream within a dream within a dream to repair their relationship with their father to break up their monopoly on the energy industry. In the end, you're doing something crazy with very direct effects to yourself in the off chance that billionaires might possibly move millions of dollars that don't really matter to them.
And in the end you're left wondering, is this still a dream?
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
November 19th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^
When did this all start?
I didn't pay any attention to any football on Saturday after the Michigan game, and then came on the board Sunday and there was talk about Maryland joining the B1G as if the process had started a few days prior. What was the timeline on this? For something so major it just seems like it happened really, really quickly.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:29 AM ^
I did exactly the same thing. When I went online last night and saw all this, I thought what what WHAT??!? I didn't even recall hearing about the B10 extending an invitation to Maryland. When was that? Was it some sort of open invitation from back when we added Nebraska?
November 19th, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:50 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:56 AM ^
I saw someone alleging (not sure if serious) that UA founder is helping maryland pay its buyout clause... I wonder if there was indeed a backdoor deal...all B1G schools to UA... NW was a gesture in good faith!
/conspiracy
November 19th, 2012 at 10:51 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 10:54 AM ^
November 19th, 2012 at 11:01 AM ^
I'd add a word. This is historically a football conference. Even before the add, B1G bball > B1G football at this point in time.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:53 AM ^
I am sure Maryland and Rutgers will be split apart in the conferences? This has to be.
That will give us another cupcake.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
Hopefully, Legends and Leaders gets blown up now. OSU and Michigan need to be in the same division.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:53 AM ^
Quick, name as many standout Maryland football alum as possible. I'll start:
(1) Boomer Esiason
(2) Vernon Davis
...I'm tapped out. Please help.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:09 AM ^
ej henderson, darius heyward-bey and torrey smith were first round draft picks back to back, jared gaither was a first round draft pick but is a lazy fuck, stefon diggs looks like an nfl. I mean obviously its not a top producer of talent but md has had a top 10 pick more recently than michigan has (and i'm hoping that doesn't change this year since I want Lewan back)
November 19th, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
Yup, there has been some recent Maryland talent. Totally forgot about Smith + Heyward-Bey as 1st round WR picks.