With the summer almost halfway through, the anticipation of the 2014 NCAA football season is growing by the day. However, nobody is having a more anxious off-season than Big Ten fans, who are witnessing a comeback in the midst of a recent decline in popularity. As of July 1, the Big Ten officially added Rutgers and Maryland as its newest members of the conference.
The addition of Rutgers is a major power move for both parties involved. According to Chris Stassen’s college football database, their all time football record is 634-615-42, giving the team the 72nd best winning percentage in college football, ranking higher than two of its current conference members, Indiana and Northwestern. The program may also be a hidden gem for breeding NFL players. Rutgers accounted for 39 active players (two of whom appeared in the previous two seasons of the NFL playoffs) in the league during the 2013 NFL season, right behind current Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State (48) and ahead of Penn State (38). Though the school may be lacking in football tradition, joining the Big Ten will help bring in the big bucks. Ticket sales have already increased by 25% over the last year and will steadily do so with more exposure.
For the Big Ten as a whole, adding Rutgers boosts the conference’s stock due to the university’s proximity to New York City. BTN recently agreed to a deal with Cablevision, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable to distribute the channel to its 20 million viewers in the New York metro area, significantly expanding its fan base while giving the Big Ten the exposure it needs on the East coast against competing conferences like the ACC and AAC. Increasing Big Ten presence in the East will lead to bigger and better things for the formerly Midwestern-based conference. The network has already staked ground in 14 of the country’s 40 biggest television markets.
Rutgers has the chance to make an impact in the Big East. The team has reached a bowl game eight out of the last nine years, a step in the right direction towards competing against teams in one of the country’s top conferences. Securing a win over Penn State on Sept. 13 will shake preconceived notions of Rutgers being the weakest link of the Big Ten; and a winning season will prove Rutgers’ worth to its Big Ten comrades, securing its spot as a strong competitor and viable bowl contender in the years to come.
