Maryland Looks to Be Gone

Nov 18, 2012, 7:20 PM

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/tracking-the-terps/bal-maryland-near-to-joining-big-ten-20121118,0,3071485.story

The University of Maryland moved close Sunday to formally applying for admission to the Big Ten Conference, and an announcement could come as soon as Monday.

The Board of Regents meets Monday to discuss the school’s proposal to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference after nearly 60 years.

It wasn’t immediately certain -- there is disagreement –over whether a formal regents vote is necessary for Maryland to proceed, or if Chancellor William E. (Brit) Kirwan can make the decision on his own. Either way, Maryland is hoping to obtain the regents’ endorsement.

The next step would be for Maryland to formally apply for admission to the Big Ten and for the conference’s council of presidents to vote.

Maryland believes joining the Big Ten would improve the fiscal health of its athletics program and open up academic partnerships. Opponents cite the long tradition with the ACC and the distances between Maryland and Big Ten schools, and would like more time to study the proposal.

Schools leaving the ACC are required to pay an exit fee of about $50 million that was approved – with Maryland and Florida State dissenting – in September. Such fees sometimes get mediated and the school ends up paying less.

Schools are required to give notice to the ACC by Aug. 15 and then wait about 10 months to leave. Given that and other considerations, it seems unlikely Maryland could start participating in the Big Ten until July 2014.