Rutgers Football: Move to Big Ten Would Greatly Benefit Program

Rutgers is in serious talks to join the Big Ten conference. If these talks progress, it would be a great move for the school.

ESPN's Andy Katz, Dana O'Neil and Brett McMurphy all contributed to a story saying that the school would be part of a package deal with Maryland if the school decides to make the change.

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If Maryland goes from the ACC to the Big Ten, Rutgers of the Big East is expected to follow suit. The addition of Maryland and Rutgers would give the Big Ten 14 members as the league gears toward negotiations on a new media rights deal when its first-tier rights expire in 2017.

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Scarlet Nation confirmed these stories from the side of the Big East school.

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We now have confirmation that #Rutgers #rfootball is in talks with the Big 10 from multiple sources.

— ScarletNation.com (@rivalsnewjersey) November 17, 2012"

If it indeed happens, this move would bring a lot of positives to the program. 

Just like most other things in this world, the biggest factor is money. According to Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, each Big Ten school earned $24.6 million in shared revenue last season. This would be a big upgrade for the team's finances. 

This type of money would help provide players with upgraded facilities, which would make the team better with recruiting and overall morale.

In addition to that, this move helps recruiting with increased national exposure. The Big Ten Network adds to the games already on ESPN to create a solid amount of games on national television.

Almost every high school player wants to be seen by as many people as possible, and they would love the chance to play for a team that gives them that opportunity.

The allure of playing against the likes of Michigan and Ohio State instead of Temple and South Florida will make a big difference to these young kids as well. These opponents are also certain to make a difference in attendance. 

There are disadvantages to the move, however.

First, the chance to win the conference and play in a BCS game will be significantly more difficult. However, teams in any sport should not make a decision towards the path of least resistance. They should challenge themselves instead of taking the easy way out.

The other problem is geography. With most teams far away, travel arrangements become much more difficult, especially in the other sports. However, with Boise State, San Diego State and Houston entering the Big East, that problem is unavoidable.

Rutgers will have to wait on Maryland to make the decision in order to become a package deal. However, fans should be excited about the opportunity and embrace the move if it eventually happens. 

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