Maryland To Big 10?!?!

[OFFNY]

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Slightly off topic because it's not about Maryland, but more potential conference changes.

BYU, Boise State, and San Diego State are talking about possibly rejoining the Mountain West Conference.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8653727/boise-state-broncos-sdsu-aztecs-byu-cougars-talk-mwc-return-sources-say

Not too long ago, I knew all of the teams in each major conference (and some of the mid-major conferences, too), and if someone DID change and/or join a conference, it was huge news (like when Arkansas switched from the SWC to the SEC in 1991, Florida State joined the ACC in 1992, and Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993.)

Now ........ well, now I wonder if sometimes they should just throw all of the school's names into a hat every year, have a representative from each conference draw out the names of the schools, and whoever picks you, that's the conference you're in ...... for that season. :laughlol:

[hoosiers]

Welcome to the Big 10! Not sure how I feel about adding Maryland and Rutgers athletically, but I like the academic credentials and the passionate fan bases. The Big10 network is a huge difference maker. I see almost every Indiana basketball game and now most of the football games. There are other sports on TV all the time like well-ranked IU soccer, other schools volleyball, etc - so besides the $ provide by the network, the programming is quite good.

From an Indiana sports perspective, I can tell you the additional $ provided by the Big10 network is immense and difference-making. It supports multiple programs while enabling a massive investment in football. IU poached a quality assistant coach from Oklahoma in Kevin Wilson two years ago, gave him money to hire all sorts of quality assistant coaches, upgraded the facilities from among the worst in the nation to among the best, better academic advisors, better nutritional advisors, etc, etc. IU is on the verge of its best recruiting class in years (not sure if we've ever had more than one four or five star kid in any class in the past 15 years) with three four star verbal commits and three more on the way, has improved from 1 win last year to four this year with close losses against Navy, Ohio State and Mich State after losing its starting QB in the second game (I know Md fans, we're lucky we did not see four more QBs go down), but it is looking like a possibility to go bowling either next year or the one after.

The Big 10 is very weak in football right now due to transitions at OSU and Michigan, but Penn State will rebound and Nebraska is a football power. It is not uncommon to see Mich State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern (and now Rutgers) in the top 25 and there are cycles where Illinois and Purdue are good. Outside of Indiana, no team is usually that bad. The strength of the conference from a football perspective is not the few teams at the top, it is that a huge portion of the conference is in the top 40-50 teams making the schedule very difficult overall.

The key for IU (and possibly similar for Maryland) is to schedule relatively weak out of conference and win a few in-conference games against Illiinois and Minnesota with an occasional upset to get to 6 and 7 wins and a bowl game. The bowl games usually cause a recruiting boon and the success builds upon itself (leading to a more difficult out-of-conference schedule). This is IU's path to a respectable football team, but the foundation is laid with the support of the athletic department and good coaching and the Big 10 network provides that.

[CT203]

Some interesting things I have been hearing from some people at UConn. They are not part of the BOT or anything but they do work in the athletic department. UConn is the first choice for the ACC, they are under that impression, but UConn is holding out to see if the BIG 10 is done expanding and if they may be part of those plans.

From other things being written on various sites it sounds like BIG 10 will go to 16 but no one knows how quickly. They clearly value schools that are part of the AAU which makes UVA and UNC and Gtech attractive. However part of their bylaws state expansion will only be done if there is a bordering state. IN that scenario it would have to be UVA and UNC but there no way UNC goes anywhere without Duke.

Another scenario is BIG 10 going after some combination of UConn, Cuse, BC. That would give the BIG 10 the entire NY, CT and MA market. For those unaware UConn has a reach into Mass and the Boston market. Even though they are in Connecticut the Boston Globe covers them about as much BC and partly is because of Calhoun being a Bostonian.

This definitely leaves the ACC unstable. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Can anyone else verify this... I was told Maryland would make $100 million more over the next 10 years vs having stayed in the ACC?

Also its no surprise that Rutgers and Maryland who are both in financial troubles jumped at joining the BIG 10. Also does this make Notre Dame rethink their decision to stay independent in football

[CT203]

Dont know how true it is but there was a tweet saying right now 3 schools are against UConn joining and 6 are against Lville. There could still be lobbying and things could definitely change one way or the other.

I would assume FSU, Clemson, and Miami are the votes against as FSU wants a football school and Miami still dislikes UConn for when they bolted from the BE.

Vatech absolutely hates LVille so they are definitely against them and I would assume most others are for academic reasons.

[Brendan25]

Maryland has beaten Florida State..on rare occasion. Tell me how this improves recruiting.

While you're at it, tell me how this helps, for example, the lacrosse and soccer programs, as in programs that have actually had some recent success? Let me guess, W.G.A.S. Soprano, those aren't big money programs.

I watched the 3 p.m. conference. Dr. Loh, what do you say to the student athletes whose programs were cut and ask where the $50 million exit fee is coming from? Damn good question and Loh sidestepped it. He talked about how (and it's not a definite) that some programs would be brought back. That still doesn't answer the question of why we have the money now, but we didn't have it then when the programs were cut. One assumes that it'll take some time to break even on the exit fees, given the added revenue from getting out football asses kicked harder on a regular, embarrassing basis. Loh noted that the fees would come solely from the athletic program, which he added is totally self-sustaining, no subsidies. Oh, really?

If Maryland would have stayed in the ACC, there would have been more sports cut. This was about the money. Maryland could not afford to keep their athletic department running by staying in the ACC.

[TonySoprano]

If Maryland would have stayed in the ACC, there would have been more sports cut. This was about the money. Maryland could not afford to keep their athletic department running by staying in the ACC.

Where is the athletic department getting the $50 million? How can they afford to pay that if they are at the same time talking about cutting other programs? I realize you can't answer these questions but it's a damn shame the University officials can't either.

[Tony-OH]

Interesting example considering as recently as 4 years ago Maryland might have been able to beat Michigan.

Exactly. We've been getting our heads kicked in by West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Miami for years. When we were good, we were able to beat a lot of them and if the recruiting picks up (and yes, I think being able to sell going to Michigan and Ohio state will help), Maryland can become a solid football program. Now what they really need to do is have a stadium built closer to the highways so getting to a game is not such a horrible experience.

[glenn__davis]

Where is the athletic department getting the $50 million? How can they afford to pay that if they are at the same time talking about cutting other programs? I realize you can't answer these questions but it's a damn shame the University officials can't either.

Well I think there are a few possible answers there...

A) MD doesn't believe they'll have to pay the whole 50 million.

B) The Big 10 will offer to help pay the exit fee.

C) The increased revenue from being in the Big 10 will help pay the exit fee.

It's not like MD is just going to pull 50 million out of thin air. Seems like they're pretty confident in will be significantly less than that.

[Hooded Viper]

My biggest concern is the basketball team. I wonder how Turgeon feels about leaving the ACC? I would hate for him to feel a bit betrayed and not want to stay for a prolonged period of time because of this deal. Hopefully I am being paranoid.

[Tony-OH]

Where is the athletic department getting the $50 million? How can they afford to pay that if they are at the same time talking about cutting other programs? I realize you can't answer these questions but it's a damn shame the University officials can't either.

My guess is a donor/s will come up with the funds but there is no way you can think this is not good financially for the University? The more money allows for more programs and that gives additional student-athletes opportunities for a Maryland education. I for one am looking forward to seeing the Terps on the BTN in various sports, including wrestling. I think this does stink for the lacrosse players a bit, but Maryland can always schedule the local powerhouses with their out of conference games.

Baseball might be hurt a bit as players may not want to play the cold weather school vice the warmer weather schools, but there are some good baseball programs in the Big Ten. Change is always a bit scary, but I think this moves makes sense in a lot of ways and I support it from what I know about the situation.

[hoosiers]

Where is the athletic department getting the $50 million? How can they afford to pay that if they are at the same time talking about cutting other programs? I realize you can't answer these questions but it's a damn shame the University officials can't either.

What is the big deal with the exit fee if the Big10 is going to generate $8M-$10+M more annually forever? Negotiate the fee down to $40M, get a lower interest loan and pay down the $40M over 15 or 20 years by paying off $2.5M per year in principal, and still have a larger sports budget by $6M-$8M annually.

IMO, at least one of the ACC and Big East is in long term distress. I imagine if the Big 10 could pick up its next two schools from among VaTech, GaTech, Texas, Miami, Florida State, etc, it would be a real boon. A more southern school could let the Big 10 set up its own bowl game in a warmer climate - since the conference right now sends its best teams on the road to play a Florida school in Florida, a Texas school in Texas and a Pac10 team in the Rose Bowl. These are some good possibilities, IMO, much better than the Northeast schools.

[Brendan25]

Where is the athletic department getting the $50 million? How can they afford to pay that if they are at the same time talking about cutting other programs? I realize you can't answer these questions but it's a damn shame the University officials can't either.

Well I think there are a few possible answers there...

A) MD doesn't believe they'll have to pay the whole 50 million.

B) The Big 10 will offer to help pay the exit fee.

C) The increased revenue from being in the Big 10 will help pay the exit fee.

It's not like MD is just going to pull 50 million out of thin air. Seems like they're pretty confident in will be significantly less than that.

Exactly. Between the cost getting reduced, and the B1G helping pay, I don't think there is any chance that Maryland pays all or even most of that 50 mil.

And if FSU sees Maryland get off easy with that 50M, they are going to be looking to bolt also.

My biggest concern is the basketball team. I wonder how Turgeon feels about leaving the ACC? I would hate for him to feel a bit betrayed and not want to stay for a prolonged period of time because of this deal. Hopefully I am being paranoid.

“Everyone says this is going to make my job harder because people are going to be coming here to get players, well see about that.”

[dorfmac]

Where is the athletic department getting the $50 million? How can they afford to pay that if they are at the same time talking about cutting other programs? I realize you can't answer these questions but it's a damn shame the University officials can't either.

Helloooooo, Under Armour! KPlank, and other donors, will help take care of that fee. I read somewhere yesterday that they think they won't have to pay more than ~$20mil.

IMO, at least one of the ACC and Big East is in long term distress.

Both are doomed. It seems like there aren't any big fish left to acquire, leaving the ACC and Big East stuck with what they have or adding lesser schools just to have the numbers. Without the big-time athletic programs, the conference just won't be able to compete financially with the Pac-12, SEC, etc. It would be in FSU and Miami's best interest to defect now and get into the superconference they want rather than to wait for the ACC to fail and not have as many opportunities, leverage or negotiating power when it comes to joining a new conference. Florida State and Miami are really the only two schools left with cache, and if relatively "lame" schools like Maryland and Rutgers are bailing with their replacements being Big East schools that are even "lamer", what reason or incentive does FSU or the Canes have to stay?

[hoosiers]

Florida State and Miami are really the only two schools left with cache, and if relatively "lame" schools like Maryland and Rutgers are bailing with their replacements being Big East schools that are even "lamer", what reason or incentive does FSU or the Canes have to stay?

I don't consider Maryland or Rutgers "lame". They may have difficulty rising to the top in football or basketball consistently, but both are capable of fringe top 25 teams or better in football and Maryland in basketball. The Big 10 could somewhat cement the DC market as more Big10 than any other major conference by adding Virgina or VaTech and could play for the Atlanta market with GaTech or go for one of the Florida teams.

The only big fish out there IMO are Texas and Notre Dame. There may be a second level of schools like Florida State, VaTech, Louisville that are generally perennial top 25 or better in football or elite in basketball, but otherwise the hope is the $ from the Big10 could life a lower tier school into a better position.

[Frobby]

The Big 10 is very weak in football right now due to transitions at OSU and Michigan, but Penn State will rebound and Nebraska is a football power.

Am I missing something? OSU is undefeated and ranked no. 4 by AP. I don't see how their transition has weakened the conference, though OSU being ineligible for a bowl hurts their profile this year.