Schools

SPEAK OUT: Is Maryland's Move to the Big Ten a Good Thing?

Will you miss seeing the Terps in the ACC?

The University of Maryland’s Board of Regents on Monday approved a move to the Big Ten Conference, ending nearly 60 years of affiliation with the Atlantic Coast Conference, multiple sources reported. 

Rutgers is expected to announce Tuesday that it will join the Terps in the Big Ten, the New York Daily News reported

Maryland’s move is the latest in a flurry of conference realignment that has drastically altered the landscape of college athletics in recent years, often disrupting traditional regional rivalries as schools chase increasingly lucrative television contracts.

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Maryland’s move, which could carry a $50 million exit penalty from the ACC, is considered to be a financial strategy that will bring the school a share of the Big Ten’s television network revenue.

It comes roughly four months after the university announced that it would cut seven varsity sports from its athletics department, amid declining revenue from football and basketball.

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For those unfamiliar with the mostly-midwestern Big Ten, in football, the conference is divided into two divisions:

Legends Division

  • Michigan
  • Michigan State
  • Minnesota
  • Nebraska
  • Northwestern
  • Iowa

Leaders Division

  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Ohio State
  • Penn State
  • Purdue
  • Wisconsin

So what do you think of Maryland’s move?

Will you miss the Terps facing off in basketball with Duke, North Carolina and Virginia? Are you looking forward to football games against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State? What about other sports?

Is this a good move or another “sad day?”


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