Rob Carr
Maryland president Wallace Loh, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and others spoke Monday about the Terps' conference switch.
The key points of Maryland's press conference announcing its 2014 move to the Big Ten in all sports included money, money, money, money, money and money, plus academics, stability, money and money. The most critical quote might be when Jim Delany announced East Coast offices for the conference by declaring the Big Ten is no longer a Midwest conference. He does not say things like that by accident.
Also, there was a part where Delany started talking about the Rose Bowl, of course.
Loh calls today "a watershed moment." July 1 of 2014 is the start date.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Loh cites recent budget problems. Big Ten "truly guarantees the financial stability of Maryland athletics for a long, long time."
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 19, 2012
Loh: "By being members of the Big Ten Conference, we will be able to ensure the financial sustainability of Maryland athletics for decades"
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) November 19, 2012
Loh: "The member ship of the Big Ten enables us to guarantee the financial sustainability of Md. athletics for a long, long, long time."
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) November 19, 2012
Give Loh a lot of credit. He is the first one I can remember in any of these announcements to say flat out, we need the money.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 19, 2012
President Loh making it very, very clear about why they made this move to Big Ten: $$$. Appreciate the honesty.
— Rittenberg/Bennett (@ESPN_BigTen) November 19, 2012
Money and CIC membership. Wallace Loh is not bullshitting.
— Peter (@runthedive) November 19, 2012
Give this to Maryland prez Wallace Loh. He didn't even give the usual lip service. Kicked presser off by saying it was about money.
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) November 19, 2012
Loh wants to reinstate some of the discounted sports, he says. Good.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Loh also mentions worst-in-the-ACC support staff before he got there. Move will increase athlete quality of life.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Loh: "My obligation as President isn't to any conference, but to the University of Maryland."
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
More academic talk ... sooner this gets back to just taking the money (i.e. the primary, secondary & tertiary reason), better for everyone.
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) November 19, 2012
Kirwan pushing the CIC hard. Maybe over the top but it's a sell he needs to make.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Kirwan harping on Loh's point about academics getting money from athletics to help "the academic enterprise"
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) November 19, 2012
KA: "The most important thing to me, is that no future MD AD will ever have to look any athlete in the eye" and cut their sport
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Delany: "All 12 of our presidents assembled on a conference call, and quite honestly they were giddy."
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Delany: "We embrace the turtle. Today is Maryland's day."
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Delany: "We realize all the major conferences are slightly outside of their footprint."
— Rittenberg/Bennett (@ESPN_BigTen) November 19, 2012
Delany: "You're not joining a Midwestern conference. We'll opening offices on the East Coast. We're not asking you to become us."
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
Delany: Big Ten not a national conference but will have a presence in two areas of the country.
— Rittenberg/Bennett (@ESPN_BigTen) November 19, 2012
Loh: "I don’t know if we would do this kind of deal w/a conference that didn’t have this kind of consortium. There's an academic component
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) November 19, 2012
Loh: "It's not about money. Somebody has to pay the bills. What's at issue is the long-term viability of Maryland athletics."
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
"Somebody has to pay the bills." Wallace Loh gets how to say these things.
— Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) November 19, 2012
Loh mentions that ACC is changing anyway, won't play traditional hoops rivals as much. Have to stay ahead of change, not overwhelmed by it
— Rittenberg/Bennett (@ESPN_BigTen) November 19, 2012
Kirwan says the BoR vote was "like 90%." McMILLLLLLEEEEEEENNNNNN!!!
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
At least it wasn't @mcmurphyespn... RT @kevinoncfb: Maryland president Dr. Loh informed John Swofford of the decision around noon today.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 19, 2012
Loh downplayed exit fee, "as we crunch those numbers we are able to deal with this issue."
— ESPN ACC (@ESPN_ACC) November 19, 2012
Delany: "Today's Maryland's day, and I won't have any other comment about any other institution today." Thanks, Jim.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) November 19, 2012
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