Big Ten expands to Maryland, Rutgers

On Nov. 19 and 20, the Big Ten grew from 12 to 14 members as the conference added both Maryland and Rutgers, current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East Conference, respectively.

Both schools applied for admission into the Big Ten early in the week, Maryland on Monday and Rutgers on Tuesday.

The same day each application was filed, all 12 Big Ten presidents and chancellors met on a conference call. Unanimous votes were cast to admit both schools to the conference.

“To add schools with the caliber of Rutgers and Maryland, they have large alumni bases and major media markets,” IU Assistant Athletic Director for Broadcast Services Jeremy Gray said. “It should make the Big Ten more profitable for each of the schools. It’s an exciting time.”

A part of the ACC since 1953, Maryland has an extensive athletic history, including a 2002 men’s basketball national championship after a victory against IU in the finals.

The school has recently struggled in maintaining its athletics programs. Only one year ago, the school cut eight sports to save money.

Its move to the Big Ten will improve the university’s financial situation, Maryland President Wallace Loh said, allowing the athletic department to potentially reinstate those teams.

Rutgers, meanwhile, has a valuable asset to the Big Ten’s aspirations in its market share of the New York City region.

In adding the school to the conference, the league hopes to expand the Big Ten Network into the area, creating additional profit for all of its schools.

The Scarlet Knights have a successful athletic background. As a member of the Big East since 1995, Rutgers is known as the “birthplace of intercollegiate football,” having played the first ever game of college football in 1869 against Princeton. The school also has two national championships, including one in women’s basketball.

“Across the board, they’re going to make the Big Ten better,” Gray said. “Both schools have great athletic traditions, and like I said before, adding their media markets will make the conference more profitable, and that will only help Indiana.”

Maryland will become a full-time member of the Big Ten on July 1, 2014, and plans to participate in all sports starting in the 2014-15 season.

Rutgers, meanwhile, has not announced a specific date when it will join the league.
Both universities will be the newest members of the Big Ten since Nebraska joined the conference in July 2011.