Expansion By Big Ten May Bring Small Payoff

Expansion By Big Ten May Bring Small Payoff
COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 17: Fans sit in the upper deck of the stadium during the second half of the Florida State Seminoles and Maryland Terrapins game at Byrd Stadium on November 17, 2012 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - NOVEMBER 17: Fans sit in the upper deck of the stadium during the second half of the Florida State Seminoles and Maryland Terrapins game at Byrd Stadium on November 17, 2012 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Maryland accepted an invitation to join the Big Ten Conference on Monday. Rutgers did the same on Tuesday, expanding the conference’s roster to 14 teams and its footprint to the East Coast.

The new additions would bolster the Big Ten’s reputation for strong academics. Both universities are members of the Association of American Universities, as are all current Big Ten institutions, with the exception of Nebraska.

Their athletic heritages are mixed, however. The Rutgers football team has finished the season ranked in the Associated Press top 25 once in the last 35 years, although it is currently ranked No. 21.

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