Maryland, Rutgers could join Big Ten soon, according to multiple reports

Maryland is in "serious negotiations to join the Big Ten Conference" according to a very well-bylined ESPN report, confirming what had been some very wild speculation popping up out of nowhere earlier in the week. Maryland's often been mentioned as a potential future Big Ten target, but I don't think any of that stuff was on anybody's radar at the moment. An announcement could come this week, according to the report.

Make that multiple reports, by the way:

Big 10 in advanced talks to add Maryland, Rutgers. Can confirm @mcmurphycbs report

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) November 17, 2012

Maryland-to-Big Ten announcement could come as early as next week, multiple sources confirmed.

— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) November 17, 2012

Please consider with me how well Maryland's outlandish Under Armour uniforms would fit in with the Big Ten. Thank you.

Also, according to the report, the Big East's Rutgers could go along if the Terps do make the jump. That would bump the Big Ten up to 14 teams, matching the SEC and the eventual ACC and surpassing everyone else in terms of total full, football members.

The Terps would have to pay a hefty exit fee to the ACC, in the neighborhood of $50 million, but a fee like that would be nothing but an investment in the long run. Big Ten schools make several million per year more than ACC schools do.

Maryland and Rutgers were each charter members of their current conferences.

And the doors just got blown all the way back open.

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