Maryland
Previous Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Location: College Park, Maryland
Enrollment (Undergraduate): 26,658
Colors: Red, White, Black and Gold
Nickname: Terrapins, Terps
Men’s Sports (8): Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Track & Field, Wrestling
Women’s Sports (11): Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Notable Facilities: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (Football, Men’s Lacrosse; 51,802), Comcast Center (Men’s & Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, Wrestling, Gymnastics; 17,950)
The Maryland Terrapins join the Big Ten with a more than 100-year history of collegiate level sports. Before joining the Big Ten, Maryland was one of the founding members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Football was the first sports program at Maryland, beginning in 1892 and followed by baseball a year later. The Terrapins have won 47 national championships in their history.
The Maryland football program lays claim to two national championships which they earned in 1951 and 1953. It’s also where Paul “Bear” Bryant got his first head coaching job — he would become a legendary coach later with the University of Alabama. This past season, Maryland finished its football season with a 7-6 overall record and a 3-5 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were ranked in the Top 25 just one week, and lost 20-31 in the Military Bowl to Marshall. Maryland has appeared in eight bowl games since 2000.
Maryland also boasts a strong men’s basketball program that won its lone national championship in 2002, following a Final Four appearance a year earlier. The Terrapins’ last trip to the NCAA Tournament came in 2010, making it eight appearances to the tournament since 2000. Last season, Maryland finished 17-15 overall with a 9-9 record in the ACC.
Women’s lacrosse has been dominant in the since 2000 at Maryland, winning national championships in 2001, 2010, and 2014. Maryland’s men’s soccer team, meanwhile, won titles in 2005 and 2008.
Rutgers
Previous Conference: American Athletic Conference (AAC)
Location: New Brunswick-Piscataway, New Jersey
Enrollment (Undergraduate): 43,967
Colors: Scarlet, White
Nickname: Scarlet Knights
Men’s Sports (9): Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Track & Field, Wrestling
Women’s Sports (13): Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Notable Facilities: High Point Solutions Stadium (Football; 52,454), Rutgers Athletic Center (Men’s & Women’s Basketball; 8,000)
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights join the Big Ten and become the eastern-most team in the conference. Known as the “birthplace of college football,” Rutgers started its athletic program in 1869 when it hosted the first ever college football game against the College of New Jersey (which later became Princeton University). Rutgers was one of the first schools to participate consistently in collegiate athletics.
The Rutgers football program has played more than 1,200 games and ranks 38th in victories among NCAA FBS programs. Their only national championship came in 1869. Rutgers has made nine bowl game appearances since 2005, winning five of them. In 2013, Rutgers finished the season 6-7 overall with a 3-5 mark in the AAC. They lost to Notre Dame 16-29 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
The Rutgers men’s basketball team has struggled in the past few decades. The Scarlet Knights have made the NCAA Tournament six times, with the most recent appearance coming in 1991. Rutgers’ furthest run in the tournament came in 1976 as the team advanced to the Final Four before falling to Michigan. This past season, the Scarlet Knights went just 12-21 overall and 5-13 in the AAC.