Anyone have any info on UMD move

[papasmurfbell]

I only heard a little bit at the end of Scott Garcuea's show. They were looking into rumors. Anyone hear anything? I can't find anything online.

[thundercleetz]

What kind of move?

[papasmurfbell]

I think they said going to the big 10.

[thundercleetz]

I think they said going to the big 10.

 

Ugh, that would be terrible. I know Maryland a few times has been in the minority when it comes to voting issues in the ACC, but leaving the ACC would be disasterous.

[dc.]

Rumors are that several ACC teams will be moving to the Big 10 - but I haven't heard or seen anything even nearing on official or even "leaked" from reliable sources. Just internet garble. It would be devastating for basketball - losing UNC, Duke!

[thundercleetz]

http://m.espn.go.com/ncf/story?storyId=8644587

 

It looks like these talks are pretty serious and Rutgers would follow us. Here is the key point:

 

Maryland and Rutgers also would make the nation's richest conference even wealthier. Last season, each Big Ten school received a record $24.6 million in shared revenue, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. One source said the success of the Big Ten Network is an intriguing factor for Maryland.

 

If the two schools join the Big Ten, it would reopen what many thought was a stable time in the conference realignment process. The Big Ten joins the SEC as a legitimate 14-team superconference, while the ACC drops to 13 football members and likely will pursue another all-sports member to get back to 14.

 

Financially the move makes sense and the Big Ten is a much better football conference, not to mention the ACC Network sucks and the Big Ten Network blows it out of the water in terms of production quality. However the tradition and rivalries we lose with UNC, Duke, and UVA are irreplaceable. Rutgers and/or Penn State would probably be our new in-conference rivals. We have had a historical recruiting rivalry for football with Penn State. Right now they are the much better football team and we are the much better basketball team, but it could be a more even rivalry in the future.

 

I just hope this move isn't being made because of short-term financial problems. If we truly see this as a move that will make UMD athletics an elite athletic program in the future then I can live with that. If this move is simply done as a quick fix, financial bailout for the athletics department then I do not think our history is worth giving up.

[vmax]

I'll miss the basketball rivalries bad. UNC, Duke, VT, Virginia, NC State..the whole Tobacco Road thing.

The football team will get gobbled up in the Big Ten.

The traveling distances start to get huge.

ACC TV coverage absolutely sucks so Big Ten gets the edge there.

Will this help or hurt recruitting?

 

 

I hate Ohio State so they can replace Duke.

 

Question: Why make the move? What benefits UMD?

[oldcrow]

50 million dollar exit fee from the ACC is huge

hope nothing changes, that would suck

[thundercleetz]

I'll miss the basketball rivalries bad. UNC, Duke, VT, Virginia, NC State..the whole Tobacco Road thing.

The football team will get gobbled up in the Big Ten.

The traveling distances start to get huge.

ACC TV coverage absolutely sucks so Big Ten gets the edge there.

Will this help or hurt recruitting?

 

 

I hate Ohio State so they can replace Duke.

 

Question: Why make the move? What benefits UMD?

 

Max the reason they make this move is simple: money. Big Ten teams last year each received $24 million alone from the Big Ten Network. DC has made the point multiple times in other topics, Friedgen really put the athletics department in red with his upgrades to Capital One Field. I do not know if you have seen Terps game day lately but that place is a ghost town. So when it comes to football, I think moving to the Big Ten helps UMD immensely.

 

For football no one cares if you're playing Duke, UNC, UVA, or BC. Even 90's powerhouses like FSU and Miami no one will go see. ACC teams cannot even fill up their own home stadiums (outside of maybe Clemson and FSU). That's why the ACC took Pittsburgh, they need some serious football fan bases. Big Ten teams like Michigan, OSU, PSU, Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin they fill up their stadiums every week! Even Purdue, Indiana, and MSU have great attendance when their football teams are not doing well, why do you think the Big Ten Network brings in so much money?

 

Sure we we will get eaten up early on in football, but this will help a lot with recruiting. As I have mentioned earlier, UMD and PSU have historically recruited the same areas on the East Coast. A lot of our local guys go to PSU. Playing in the Big Ten gave them the edge. It will be rough at first, but our team has a lot of talent. In the long run this should help fill up our stadium. A lot of Big Ten schools have great traveling fan bases.

 

Basketball-wise I do not think anything will change. Turgeon is a great recruiter and he will get talent no matter what. Sure we do not play Duke, UNC, or NC State (and also miss out on Pittsburgh and ND). But we gain Michigan, Indiana, OSU, Illinois, and MSU. Duke and UNC are elite programs, but Michigan, Indiana, and OSU have just as much tradition and historical success and these teams annually get top recruits. So regardless when we are recruiting guys locally, we can tell them they are going against top competition. Then there's the Big Ten Network for basketball again, which will get our guys national exposure in areas they wouldn't usually get it (the Midwest).

 

After thinking it through I am for this move.

[thundercleetz]

50 million dollar exit fee from the ACC is huge

hope nothing changes, that would suck

 

The Big Ten would obviously cover a lot of this. However I have heard the exit fee may not be as high as the $50 million. UMD was one of two teams that vetoed against the raise in fee. They might have a case to get out for less.

[dc.]

How can you justify paying ANY exit fee when you've just cut 7 sports programs as "unsustainable" because of financial issues? And how can you do that even further when those financial issues come from massive, unnecessary expansions for a football program?

 

It's just wrong. And while I've had nothing against Loh and Anderson like others... this would send me over a cliff.

[thundercleetz]

How can you justify paying ANY exit fee when you've just cut 7 sports programs as "unsustainable" because of financial issues? And how can you do that even further when those financial issues come from massive, unnecessary expansions for a football program?

 

It's just wrong. And while I've had nothing against Loh and Anderson like others... this would send me over a cliff.

 

It's easy, the money from one year of Big Ten Network and BCS revenues would justify it. Not to mention the Big Ten is scheduled to negotiate a new tv deal in 2014, so even more money there. Byrd Stadium is never going to fill up in the ACC. In the Big Ten we potential in the future to legitimately fill it up every week like other Big Ten schools have done for years.

[vmax]

Thanks for the info cleetz. Well stated.

[thundercleetz]

One more thing to consider: is UMD leaving the ACC or the Big East? The ACC has added in recent years and will add in coming years Boston College, Virginia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. With fourteen teams in the ACC, Maryland would essentially be in a 'Big East' North division of the ACC with Syracuse, Pittsburgh, BC, ND, and I'm guessing V-Tech would be the other team to restore the Big East tradition? That's not really a tradition and I could see UMD as a charter member being mad about that. And to make this even more ironic the ACC has Connecticut set to replace UMD if they leave. So there you go the ACC will have effectively absorbed the Big East.

 

Bottom line, outside of UNC and Duke saying there is an ACC tradition is a stretch. And to say there is a tradition in ACC football would be an outright joke. Sure losing the "rivalries" with UVA, UNC, and Duke would sting in the short term (is anyone else hearing a "you're not our rival" chant right now?), but this move could really benefit UMD in the long run. IMO we should be considered lucky that the Big Ten wants us.

[papasmurfbell]

Tradition went out the window with FSU joinging the ACC. It has been watering down ever since.

[thundercleetz]

So do you agree with me Papa that UMD should be jumping for joy at the prospect of a Big Ten deal?

[dc.]

Well, the money from the Big Ten deal is somewhat exaggerated... they got 24m per school last year, which was a record. But that's split 12 ways, not 14. Further, that's only actually about 5m more than the ACC deal. So, it would take ten years for the Terps to make back their money.

 

Second, if UMD has Pitt, Syracuse and ND coming to Byrd on a regular basis in the coming years... that's not going to fill Byrd more? I bet it fills Byrd more than the Big10 does.

 

Lastly, as for tradition... new schools may or may not help/hurt tradition. It's the old schools that matter. Only one of the original ACC teams has left the conference - USC in the 70s. The others are all still there. The tradition is playing UNC, Duke, NC State, Clemson, etc. And in basketball - that matters.

[thundercleetz]

Well, the money from the Big Ten deal is somewhat exaggerated... they got 24m per school last year, which was a record. But that's split 12 ways, not 14. Further, that's only actually about 5m more than the ACC deal. So, it would take ten years for the Terps to make back their money.

 

As I mentioned: new tv deal coming in 2014. It will re-adjust for fourteen teams, I am sure of it. It is a fact: The Big Ten is the highest grossing revenue conference in the country. Add in BCS money for football and it blows the ACC out of the water. Here's why the math works: the Terps will not pay $50 million to exit. It will be closer to the $20 million number. And even that I am sure the Big Ten will help a lot with that.

 

One more thing to not overlook, the Big Ten is a nation leader in obtaining federal research grants. The ACC has great academic institutions, but the Big Ten is much better at the moment at being a conference with shared vision and identity. The ACC is in transition right now.

 

Second, if UMD has Pitt, Syracuse and ND coming to Byrd on a regular basis in the coming years... that's not going to fill Byrd more? I bet it fills Byrd more than the Big10 does.

 

Don't get me wrong, Pittsburgh is a great addition for the ACC. Great fan base. It was a must get for the ACC as their football fan bases suck. Syracuse doesn't do anything for filling Byrd. You can hear your own chant echo in the Orangedome. We'll get a home game against ND once every six years so no gain there. ACC football is pathetic. Outside of FSU and Clemson, other schools are having the same problem UMD is, they cannot even fill their own stadium. What the Big Ten helps UMD with in football is it will get UMD better talent and playing against better competition will elevate our own level of play over time. The potential for a perennial top 25 team in the ACC is low. The potential to fill up Byrd every week in the ACC is even less. In the Big Ten the ability to grow into an elite program is limitless. So is this an immediate fill for Byrd? No. But if we are winning five years from now and are playing top 25 teams each week, the hype will be too much for the stadium not to fill up. The Big Ten Network is an NFL-quality broadcast. The ACC Network looks like I'm sitting out there on the fifty yard line filming and announcing the game myself. It is an embarrassment. Outside of the SEC, there is no better than Big Ten football.

 

Once again, look at the attendance of even the worse Big Ten teams. Indiana football pulls in more money than UMD basketball!

 

Lastly, as for tradition... new schools may or may not help/hurt tradition. It's the old schools that matter. Only one of the original ACC teams has left the conference - USC in the 70s. The others are all still there. The tradition is playing UNC, Duke, NC State, Clemson, etc. And in basketball - that matters.

 

This is what we lose leaving the ACC, the tradition and rivalry games against UNC, UVA, NC State and Duke. Are any of these teams our true rival however? Like I said earlier, I am not looking forward to being in the Big East North division of the ACC. These games are the price we pay to leave but IMO we'll get over it and we'll be on a much better road in the future.

 

I guess we'll know more on Monday. By the way Gary supports the move:

 

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8649670/maryland-terrapins-regents-vote-big-ten-move-monday

[papasmurfbell]

Yrs ago I think this might have been a smart move but the ACC is so close to being a super conf. When they get there then the conf can walk away from the NCAA. They have ND in every sport except football so when they get to the super conf's then ND may have to join in football too. When the acc, sec, pac16, and big 12 walk away they can run their own show and keep all the money for themselves.

 

That said sitting pat might be smarter.

[papasmurfbell]

Kieth Cavinaugh is saying it is done and there will be a press conference today saying so per 1057.

[dc.]

It is a done deal.

 

How about this... Big Ten doesn't have lacrosse. What happens to our two teams there? Independent? How do we keep kids coming in if we have to fight our way into the NCAA tourney for lacrosse because we don't have a locked spot via the ACC?

[papasmurfbell]

The radio said there are schools starting it and you still have Towson, Loyola, Denver, and Hopkins.

[dc.]

Towson, Loyola and others are in conferences granted bids through their conferences. The Big Ten, because the sport is not a conference recognized endeavor, does not get an automatic bid into the tournament. Therefore, the lacrosse teams for Maryland would pretty much have to make the tournament as an 'at large' - of which there are limited spots.

 

Further, recruiting players to play in a nameless lacrosse conference against worthless teams is going to be hard.

[vmax]

It is a done deal.

 

How about this... Big Ten doesn't have lacrosse. What happens to our two teams there? Independent? How do we keep kids coming in if we have to fight our way into the NCAA tourney for lacrosse because we don't have a locked spot via the ACC?

 

Wow! Never thought of that. This will kill MD lacrosse.

[thundercleetz]

MD lacrosse is not going anywhere, it will be fine. Lacrosse is still in its infancy compared to other sports. There are lots of good players in the areas and few schools. We will still play the local powerhouse teams. And UMD has a big advantage of being a large university with great academics, which will inheritably give them a natural advantage for some recruits wanting to play at a big university over a smaller one. IMO this is no big deal at all. Lacrosse is still in it's development stages and it's only a matter of time before large universities start to establish big time programs.

 

BTW, Michigan and OSU are in the ECAC (Loyola was in this conference, and Air Force and the University of Denver are in this conference currently), it would not surprise me for UMD and Rutgers to join this conference. Penn State is in the Colonial Athletic Association. Rutgers has a very solid program that has been established as long as any other lacrosse team (two national championships). The Big Ten only needs six teams to establish a conference.. Michigan State has an up-and-coming club team, and Northwestern has an elite women's lacrosse team. Lacrosse is big in Chicago, it is only a matter of time before NW gets a good men's program going. More long-term, I could see Illinois as being a good candidate for a lacrosse team due to the emerging demographic. So we are looking at a Big Ten lacrosse conference definitely consisting of:

 

Penn State

UMD

Michigan

OSU

Rutgers

MSU

 

NW could be a good candidate to join later on. In the meantime UMD and Rutgers can compete with MSU and OSU in the ECAC and not lose a competitive advantage in recruiting at all. With the type of power and resources these Big Ten universities have it is only a matter of time before these programs will come together and create a conference that qualifies for an automatic bid. So does this move hurt UMD in the short-term? Possibly. In the long-term it does not hurt at all. And it could possibly help as UMD will get a heads up on recruiting in an area of the country where new lacrosse recruits could emerge as the sport grows. Not to mention the Big Ten Network has the resources to provide a superior broadcast to any other lacrosse conference.