Maryland To Play Self in 2013 Big Ten/ACC Challenge

At a 3 p.m. press conference, Maryland president Wallace Loh made it official – The Terps are leaving the ACC after 59 years as a founding member and joining the Big 10.

Loh spoke at length about ongoing “financial sustainability” of all the athletic programs in College Park and the importance of dollars generated by athletics benefiting non-athletic components of the university such as tuition support.

He said that eliminating non-revenue sports at the university was the hardest thing he and A.D. Kevin Anderson had ever had to do.

He did not mention the $50 million exit fee, but he has previously been on record saying he did not believe the increased fee (bumped up this year from $20 million to $50 million with only Maryland and Florida State voting against the measure) would stand up in court.

Chancellor William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Athletics Director Kevin Anderson and Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney also addressed the media.

It is assumed that the move to the Big 10 will position Maryland to be part of what many believe will be four football superconferences made up of the PAC 10, Big 12, Big 10 and SEC. 

That said, the Terps have had limited experience with Big 10 football, but they did once have an exciting rivlarly with Penn State – exciting for the Nittan Lions who posted a 35-1-1 record against Maryland over the years.  

Word on the street has it that the ACC is talking to UConn, Louisville, South Florida and Cincinnati about filling the vacated spot.