Desperation in College Park

Lots of topics but so little time - or space.  But after watching Carolina defend the ACC's honor on Saturday, I feel compelled to jump start my blogging with Maryland's short-sighted decision to leave the ACC for the Big 10.  

The decision to leave speaks more to desperation even more than it points to money.

The athletic department at Maryland's flagship university has faced severe budget cuts recently, and drastically decided to cut seven Olympic sports in the last year. Cuts included core collegian sports like swimming and track and field. 

The school had hoped that football and basketball would pay the freight for the rest of their athletic department - as it does at the other ACC schools - and expanded the capacity of Byrd Stadium as part of that plan. But those new seats stayed empty even as now-fired Ralph Freidgen reinvigorated the football program.  At the same time, the men's basketball team oddly slid into mediocrity in the wake of the 2002 National Championship, stopped going to the NCAA tourney every year, and as a result attendance - and revenue - dropped.

Much of the cash that did come in was mismanaged, sports were dropped, and the solution was seen as a conference with its own TV network in the Big 10.

Maryland may make more money from the Big 10 Network, but don't forget the ACC has its own network - at least when it comes to basketball.  It's called ESPN, so the TV money will likely be a wash.

But back to mismanagement and the ill-fated decision to expand Byrd Stadium.  Where Maryland will make money is selling out their stadium but with Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan alums instead of Terps fans. The athletic department is probably happy to trade schools like Wake, Duke, BC, and Miami with schools that have large alumni fan bases in DC. Or ones that have fans that travel; the ACC arguably only has one football program with fans who will go anywhere, and that's Virginia Tech.

In that regard, the Terps are replaying a sad and common refrain sung by other DC-area teams - "come watch the other team." The Wizards have done that for years, alienating a grassroots basketball community so much that a recent survey of local sports fans found the Lakers as popular as our hometown team.  For years the Nats did the same, courting Phillies fans to come to DC until a noticeable fan backlash, and an infusion of talent, stopped that noxious ticket-selling strategy.

Unfortunately, instead of getting more competitive – at least in football - Maryland decided to desperately chase the equivalent of Phillies fans to balance the books at the athletic department.  Disapponting and desperate.

A few more Maryland notes:

• Maryland the university and STATE belong in the ACC. The university was a charter member, but culturally and geographically the state is an ACC state. Like Virginia,  the Carolinas, and Georgia it has a tidal coast on one end with mountains at the other. It's early economy was dominated by tobacco (and slavery). It shares the same weather and many of the same demographics as its fellow south of the Mason-Dixon Line brethren.  Now the Free State is mixed up with states like Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota (all great places to play football in October and November).  Good luck recruiting Florida and the southeast!
• Fans of Terps football should get used to winning only 2 to 5 games a year in perpetuity. Why would any player play football there? Maryland could - and did - compete for ACC championships even after FSU and Miami joined.  But does anyone think the Terps will ever compete with Ohio State or Michigan or anyone in football?
• Don't expect basketball to benefit either. Big 10 basketball is NOT as glamorous as the ACC. And big time recruits from the east will likely stay in the area to play at Carolina, Duke, UConn or Syracuse. And why would big-time recruits from Chicago or the Midwest pick Maryland over Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio State or other regional powers?
• Finally, Maryland has become a big time soccer school, for both men's and women's teams. Outside of Indiana, the Big 10 stinks regarding the world’s most popular sport, while the ACC excels.  
• Other than those reasons it's a great move!