Would you be pleased if the Terps agreed to join the Big Ten?

[Greg Pappas]

While it may be years away from a possibility, it has been discussed by various outlets as one very possible scenario... UM Terps to Big Ten. Would you be happy, or would you rather they remain in the ACC?

[PrivateO]

I know this is a cheap way to get out of the question, but (as a guy who follows the Terps but doesn't really have any close affiliation to them), I think it would depend on who stays/leaves the ACC.

[Birds of B'more]

There's a few downsides to going to the Big Ten, but I think the good outweighs it. Obviously the money and stability would be much better. On the football side of things there would be much more prestige in the Big Ten, at the expense of less prestige in basketball. But the Big Ten certainly isn't terrible when it comes to basketball. And perhaps the move and extra cash would inspire UM to invest more in the football program to be more competitive with their new peers (indoor practice facility, the next phase of Byrd Stadium upgrade).

Some old rivalries (mostly basketball) would die, but I'm sure new ones would be born....it seems like there's been some recent history between the Terps and Mich St in basketball, and of course Indiana was who they beat to win the Natty in 2002. And if a Big East school like Syracuse also joins, that would be cool. Football-wise it would be neat to play Penn St on a regular basis again. Even though the results were lopsided, I always thought they were the closest thing the Terps had to a football rival...they just don't have that in the ACC with anyone. I also think visits from teams like Ohio St, Michigan and Nebraska could pack Byrd a lot more than ones from NC State, Boston College and Wake Forest.

I'm not sure what would happen with lacrosse. Right now the Big Ten does not sponsor the sport, and to my knowledge Ohio State is the only school that plays it at the Div 1 level. Even if MD and Syracuse join, that's probably not enough for the conference to sponsor it. If Notre Dame also joins, then you'd have 4 and maybe enough (that's all the ACC has right now). But as long as the Terps could keep their annual games with the three ACC schools, and of course the game against Johns Hopkins, I don't think that matters too much.

[BaltimoreTerp]

My response is similar to PrivateO's.

What type of situation are we talking about, exactly? Is Maryland sent an invite to leave an intact (or mostly-so) ACC? Or is the conference falling apart with teams joining other conferences and the ACC stealing from or absorbing into the Big East?

In the latter situation, it becomes every school for themselves, and I would be perfectly happy with Maryland jumping to another conference. In the former, though, I think that 60-year conference ties matter for something even if everything else in college sports (and especially football) suggests otherwise.

The irony, of course, is that Maryland and Clemson formed the ACC as a football league out of the Southern Conference (now essentially the SEC).

[Danielos38]

Yes. I would be fine with it. Though we would lose some rivalries that we've had, it would be a good move for the program. I think that new rivalries would be born in basketball and we'd have a natural one in football.

I, and the rest of the students, have never considered Maryland a southern school. The ACC is a mostly southern conference. Though it is weird to think of Maryland in anything other than the ACC, we'd fit in much better in the Big 10.

All of that being said, I would be ecstatic if a few Big East Schools joined us in the Big 10. If we could have Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers with us, I would be thrilled to leave the ACC.

[Majin Buu]

I think it would be hard for me to get over not playing Duke, UNC, Virginia, GT and even VT year in and out in basketball. I don't see Big 10 basketball being in the same universe as ACC basketball. I do, however, like the idea of Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State coming to play us at Byrd. I also think it would take some time to getting used to how expansive the Big 10 is. Most of the ACC is located between Maryland and South Carolina which makes it easier to travel to see the team on the road. I just wish the ACC aligned the football side of the conference and scheduled certain games better to allow natural conference rivalries to grow.

[CSB Jack]

I also think visits from teams like Ohio St' date=' Michigan and Nebraska could pack Byrd a lot more than ones from NC State, Boston College and Wake Forest. [/quote']

You mean like when fans of the Yankees and Red Sox fill Camden Yards? I can see attendance going up at Byrd if the Terps were in the Big 10 (at what point do you change the name to reflect how many schools there actually are in the conference?) but that would be because the visiting team was bringing the crowd. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan would all bring huge crowds just from their local fanbase, probably Nebraska also.

I agree with B'more Terp - it depends on the circumstances. I would not like to see Maryland voluntarily leave a viable ACC. If the option is Big East or Big Ten, then I go with the latter. But I'd rather (and believe it more likely) see the ACC go up to 16 teams by carving up the Big East (Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt, WVU) and filling any other vacancies from lost team(s) to the SEC (VT?) than for the Terps to become part of a 16 team Big Ten.

[Danielos38]

You mean like when fans of the Yankees and Red Sox fill Camden Yards? I can see attendance going up at Byrd if the Terps were in the Big 10 (at what point do you change the name to reflect how many schools there actually are in the conference?) but that would be because the visiting team was bringing the crowd. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan would all bring huge crowds just from their local fanbase, probably Nebraska also.

I agree with B'more Terp - it depends on the circumstances. I would not like to see Maryland voluntarily leave a viable ACC. If the option is Big East or Big Ten, then I go with the latter. But I'd rather (and believe it more likely) see the ACC go up to 16 teams by carving up the Big East (Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt, WVU) and filling any other vacancies from lost team(s) to the SEC (VT?) than for the Terps to become part of a 16 team Big Ten.

Agreed. Best possible scenario would definitely for the ACC to pick up 4 Big East teams. Preferably 4 of Rutgers, West Virginia, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Connecticut.

[backwardsk]

I think they'll have a good rivalry with Cal when they transfer to the ACC with UCLA.

[OregonBird]

Even though I'm an Indiana alum I would love to see the Terps join the Big 10. I'm more of a football fan than basketball fan so watching the Terps play PSU, OSU, Mich, Nebraska, Wisconcin, etc, is very exciting to me.

I also believe that the Terps would fit in with the academic prestige of the conference. Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconcin, Indiana, Penn State and some others are all very highly esteemed in that regard.

[NewOwnerNeeded]

Part of me would be disappointed. I like being able to see the Terps when they visit this area. Especially Wake Forest since I often get free tickets. And I'd miss seeing them in ACC tournament. The 04 Tournament is definitely one of the top sporting events I've ever been to.

But I think joining the Big 10 would be a great idea. I think they fit in better with those schools. Yes, they would have to pick it up in football, but I think that will come.

I could see the ACC falling apart with all these super conferences forming. I could also see the ACC being even weaker than it is now as the 4th superconference. They would have to pull Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, UConn, and Louisville out of the Big East. That assumes those schools don't join the Big 10, which could also be a consideration. It could get real messy and if you aren't proactive, you could be the school without a chair when the music stops.

[glenn__davis]

I, and the rest of the students, have never considered Maryland a southern school.

Painting with a rather large brush there, aren't you?

I personally love the rivalries with the southern schools.

If we were to join any other conference I wouldn't really care, though.

[Danielos38]

Painting with a rather large brush there, aren't you?

I personally love the rivalries with the southern schools.

If we were to join any other conference I wouldn't really care, though.

Loving the rivalries with Duke and UVA (few students care about a "rivalry" with UNC) has nothing to do with feeling out of place in the ACC because Maryland isn't a southern school.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Loving the rivalries with Duke and UVA (few students care about a "rivalry" with UNC) has nothing to do with feeling out of place in the ACC because Maryland isn't a southern school.

Maryland the school is southern in the same way as Maryland the state. It is, except for all of the ways it isn't.

Just because a huge number of students come from Yankee-land doesn't make it a northern school.

[JamesI]

Yes. I would be fine with it. Though we would lose some rivalries that we've had, it would be a good move for the program. I think that new rivalries would be born in basketball and we'd have a natural one in football.

I, and the rest of the students, have never considered Maryland a southern school. The ACC is a mostly southern conference. Though it is weird to think of Maryland in anything other than the ACC, we'd fit in much better in the Big 10.

All of that being said, I would be ecstatic if a few Big East Schools joined us in the Big 10. If we could have Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers with us, I would be thrilled to leave the ACC.

As a Syracuse fan, this is the scenario I am rooting for. Syracuse joining the Big 10 with some other regional schools would be great.