It's Official, Maryland & Rutgers Have Gone Big

July 1^st is the first day of the new 14 team Big Ten Conference.  Maryland and Rutgers officially join the Big Ten today and they are now thinking big.

So let the pomp and circumstance begin.  

The celebrations in College Park, Maryland and New Jersey are mere formalities.  The big goal was to distribute the Big Ten Network in New Jersey and Maryland and that has been accomplished.

The Big Ten Conference’s expansion into the east coast was all about TV markets.  With the deal the Big Ten Network struck with Time Warner and Cablevision in May and with Comcast lastweek BTN added more homes in the coveted New York/New Jersey and Washington D.C. market.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany told ESPN: “It indicates that the Eastern initiative is moving forward in the direction we hoped it would,”

“Our goal was to achieve distribution in New York and D.C., Maryland and New Jersey.” Delaney added.

Mission accomplished.

Introducing Maryland @bigtenconf ice cream at the B1G Campus Celebration! pic.twitter.com/FZGDYdkG3S
— Maryland Athletics (@umterps) July 1, 2014

Wake up feeling B1G! We are official members of the @bigtenconf. #GoTerps #July1
— Maryland Athletics (@umterps) July 1, 2014

Excited for the new Era in not only our @TerrapinHoops program but the entire @UofMaryland community #ThinkB1G pic.twitter.com/UM4h6DjKe5
— Mark Turgeon (@CoachTurgeon) July 1, 2014

It's official...we R B1G! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to follow our B1G journey! #WeRB1G #RU pic.twitter.com/NZ6bbp822T
— Rutgers Dance Team (@RUdanceteam) July 1, 2014

Officially B1G!
— RutgersWomensRowing (@RutgersWRowing) July 1, 2014

OFFICIAL! #RFootball & #TheBirthplaceOfCollegeFootball are the 14th member of the prestigious @bigtenconf! #Chop pic.twitter.com/XZ54snaQm2
— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) July 1, 2014