How Does This Shake Up Sports?
Where Will the money Go?
Joining the Big Ten gives Maryland a unique chance to create new rivalries, revive old ones and pack the stands, say athletic officials. “This presents a new opportunity to expand our base in new states and reach alumni that we haven't connected with in the past,” says Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson. “We recognize how passionate our fan base is about our university and traditions. We feel these exciting matchups against outstanding universities in the nation’s top conference makes this a perfect fit for the University of Maryland.” Maryland doesn’t start playing in the Big Ten until the 2014–15 school year, but it’s not too early to look ahead. The conference gets the most attention in football and basketball, but the Terps may thrive on many other fronts—or fields. Here are just a few examples:
A new panel appointed by President Wallace Loh will make recommendations on how to allocate the expected windfall from Maryland’s move to the Big Ten. The 22-member President’s Commission on UMD and Big Ten/CIC Integration will consider how Maryland can get the most out of its membership in the conference in athletics; education, research and innovation; finance and business administration; and communications, fundraising and marketing. Led by Maryland supporter Barry Gossett and Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement, it will review the operations and finances of Intercollegiate Athletics and come up with a plan to ensure its financial health for at least 20 years. The panel is expected to suggest whether any teams cut last year should be reinstated, and when. “Finding the right opportunities, balancing the opinions and viewpoints of lots of different people, that’s going to be our challenge. I expect there to be healthy discussions among commission members, and the entire university community,” says Gossett, vice chair of the Board of Regents. The panel, comprising faculty, administrators, students, coaches, alumni and donors, will submit its report to Loh by June 30.
Football The Big Ten is one of the strongest conferences in college football, featuring giants Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Bringing these teams to Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium will pack the stadium and fire up the crowd. In particular, Maryland fans can look forward to playing Penn State again, restarting the rivalry that ended in 1993. “In athletics, you’re always trying to challenge yourself to be the best and compete against the best, and we’re going to face this new challenge head-on,” says Coach Randy Edsall. “This is something that will enhance our football program.”
Men’s Basketball The Big Ten is best known for football, but its basketball tradition is strong, too. Six Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the top 25, including four among the top 10. Traditional powers include Indiana, which Maryland beat to win the 2002 NCAA championship, and Michigan State, which knocked Maryland out of the 2010 tournament at the buzzer.
Field Hockey With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten will have the largest field hockey conference in the country, with nine teams. The Terps have won five of the last 10 national championships.
Women’s Lacrosse Northwestern has taken seven of the last eight national championships. The one year it didn’t win was 2010, when Maryland captured the title. Since 1999, the two teams have combined to win 11 championships.
Men’s Lacrosse Big Ten men’s lacrosse teams compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. It features strong contenders like Loyola University Maryland, which the Terps played in the last NCAA championship. With our addition, the Big Ten will be just one school away from having its own conference championship tournament.
Men’s Soccer Maryland, a perennial powerhouse, joins the conference with three titles, including championships in 2005 and 2008. Indiana captured its eighth national title in the fall, the most in NCAA history.
Wrestling Maryland has dominated the ACC for years, holding four of its last five titles. Big Ten schools have won the last six national championships, however, giving the Terps a chance to prove their mettle.
What about the Exit Fee? Maryland is challenging a lawsuit the conference filed in North Carolina to collect a $52 million exit fee, arguing that state's court has no jurisdiction over the matter. Attorney General Douglas Gansler in January moved to dismiss the ACC suit on behalf of the university and the university system's board of regents. The ACC sued the university the week after Maryland publicly announced its move to the Big Ten, seeking a fee three times the total operating budget of the ACC. Loh stresses that he and other UMD officials factored payment of the fee into the evaluation of the academic, athletic and financial benefits of moving to the Big Ten. The money for any exit amount will come from future athletic revenues. No tax or tuition dollars will be used; Maryland’s athletics department covers all of its own expenses.
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