ESPN.com writers Brett McMurphy and Dana O’Neill are reporting that the University of Maryland will leave the ACC and head to the Big 10 conference. The Maryland Board of Regents met today where they have unanimously approved the school’s move to the Big 10 conference.
When Maryland, a charter member of the ACC, will make the move to the Big Ten is unknown, but sources at the school believe the Terps will be able to negotiate the current $50 million exit fee from the ACC to a lower amount. The additions of Maryland and Rutgers would spur the Big Ten toward negotiations on a new media rights deal when its first-tier rights expire in 2017.
You can check out the full ESPN.com report by clicking here.
This move by Maryland has very little effect on ACC Baseball as the Terps haven’t had a winning season in ACC play since 1980 and last made an NCAA tournament appearance in 1971.
UPDATE #1 at 11:30am:
University official says Maryland will begin play in the Big Ten in 2014-15.
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) November 19, 2012
UPDATE #2: 3:30pm
FULL PRESS RELEASE
Park Ridge, Ill.— The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) announced unanimous approval today for the University of Maryland to join the Big Ten Conference effective July 1, 2014, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2014-15 academic year. The University of Maryland also looks forward to joining the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), a consortium of world-class research institutions dedicated to advancing their academic missions.
“Today is a watershed moment for the University of Maryland,” said university president Dr. Wallace D. Loh. “Membership in the Big Ten Conference is in the strategic interest of the University of Maryland. It will not only ensure the financial vitality of Maryland Athletics for decades to come, but the extensive opportunities in the CIC for collaborations with our peer AAU and flagship universities in education, research, and innovation will boost the University of Maryland’s ascendancy in academic excellence.”
“The Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome the University of Maryland to the Big Ten Conference,” said COP/C Chair and University of Iowa President Sally Mason. “The University of Maryland is one of the premier public research universities in the country and represents a natural alignment with our other member institutions. Their top-ranked academic and athletic programs will be a tremendous addition to our conference.”
“Today is a historic day for both the University of Maryland and for Maryland Athletics,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. “The Big Ten is an outstanding conference comprised of flagship research universities. Our new peers share our pursuit of both athletic and academic excellence. We are thrilled to join the Big Ten and look forward to beginning this next chapter in Maryland Athletics starting in 2014.”
In order for an institution to be admitted to the Big Ten Conference, it must submit a written application, which must then be approved by at least 70 percent of the Big Ten COP/C. The University of Maryland formally submitted an application to join the Big Ten Conference Monday morning. The Big Ten COP/C then met via conference call and unanimously approved UMD’s application.
“The Big Ten Conference is excited to welcome the University of Maryland beginning with the 2014-15 academic year,” said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. “Maryland is a tradition-rich institution with a history of academic and athletic excellence. They’re a great fit and we look forward to a great future.”
About the University of Maryland: The University of Maryland is the state’s flagship university and one of the nation’s preeminent public research universities. Ranked No. 19 among public universities by U.S. News & World Report, it has 30 academic programs in the U.S News Top 10. UMD is one of only six universities in the world with top 25 programs in Computer Science, Engineering, Economics and Business, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Physics and Social Sciences, according to the Academic Ranking of Worldwide Universities.
About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes’ lives and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based athletic programs of the 12 Big Ten institutions sponsor 298 teams competing for championships in 25 official conference sports, 12 for men and 13 for women. Big Ten universities provide in excess of $136 million in athletic scholarship aid to nearly 10,000 men and women student-athletes, the most of any conference. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
