By now, it's become official: Rutgers has accepted an invitation to join the Big Ten, bolting the Big East for a safer harbor on the heels Maryland's exit from the Big Ten yesterday. I spent most of the day yesterday watching the comments board on ESPN.com BLOW up and people lose their damn minds over Maryland's entrance to the Big 10- and for awhile it was amusing, after awhile it just got embarrassing. I mean, are these really Big Ten football fans? I hoped not. And sure enough, after awhile a scattering of positive 'hi theres' and 'welcome to the conference' remarks started to be seen.
For the rest of them, well, it's an internet comments board. Most of 'em are probably members of the tinfoil hat brigade that live in their parents' basement- so Maryland, Rutgers- ignore those dickheads- and please accept my apology if I sounded somewhat churlish yesterday. I genuinely don't like that this has become largely about money and media markets. I really do find it distasteful. But the more I think about this, the more I'm warming to the idea. Yes, Maryland, Rutgers, I'm glad to have you aboard.
Leaving aside the money and the media markets, let's step back and think about this for a minute. Ignoring sports, these days it seems like upheaval and change are the only constants in American life. I can understand why people get so pissed about it- I mean, everything else is going to shit- can't they leave our sports alone? You have to be quick, agile, flexible and always ready to accept change. People don't have one job for life anymore. They'll have five or six. The internet has proven to be a powerful tool that people are using to start businesses, publish books, record albums. It's changing the way we do business.
Ultimately outside my loyalty to the Black and Gold, my loyalty is to the Big Ten. If Iowa doesn't make it to the Big Dance, I try and cheer for the Big Ten teams that do. Ohio State versus Alabama in the BCS Title Game? Cheering for the Buckeyes- one of the few times I'll admit to doing so! And I think the Big Ten is making the right moves to stay relevant for the future. The population is shifting away from the Midwest and that's not good news for the Big Ten. Something had to be done. So, we headed east. With the addition of Rutgers and Maryland, we expanded our recruiting grounds in the Northeast exponentially- and I'm betting a lot of local talent is going to get interested in Rutgers, Maryland and a few of their Big Ten neighbors.
Though no one's mentioned it, field hockey just got a big boost and there's now the tantalizing possibilities of Big Ten Lacrosse joining Big Ten Hockey in the future. Madison Square Garden could theoretically host the Big East, ACC and Big Ten Basketball Tournaments at some point in the future. Basketball, though it doesn't pay the bills as people keep saying, also got a boost with the addition of both Maryland and Rutgers- hailing from the ACC and Big East, two solid basketball conferences.
People need to stop their hating on the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers brings an oomph to the Conference, academically and some rich history to boot. Founded in 1766, it would be by far the oldest University in the Big Ten (named for this dude, Revolutionary War Hero Henry Rutgers) and as people have pointed out, the birthplace of college football. Which might not mean much to a lot of people but I think it adds something to the legacy of tradition and history that's an important part of the Big 10.
I've heard that with Maryland coming aboard, they're knocking Illinois over to the Legends Division (joy. Illinois.) With any luck, Rutgers will knock Wisconsin over to our division...
The next moves in the Conference Re-Alignment Madness might belong to BYU, Boise State and San Diego State, all reportedly talking with the Mountain West Conference about coming back to the fold. But is the Big Ten done? I think it is- for now. People keep talking that 16 is the magic number to go to but I think once you get past where we are now, it becomes a little ridiculous. If you end up with 16 or 20 teams, why not just split them into separate conferences again? Undoubtedly, further moves will be dependent on what's driving this madness: money.
So if we go to 16, who do we get? (I'm not going to say when. I refuse to say when...) Well, Delany and Company seem to be operating under three basic rules. First, new schools bring either brand/new television markets to the conference. Second, schools are within the contiguous footprint of the Conference and third, schools are members of the AAU. I've heard Kansas, UNC, Virginia, Duke and Georgia Tech tossed around. All I can say to that is while I will be even less thrilled about going to 16 schools than I am about going to 14, I'd be fine with Kansas, Virginia and/or Georgia Tech. UNC, Duke? F--k that s--t.
In the meantime Rutgers: Welcome Aboard!
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