While this may be premature, it looks like my dear Terrapins have decided to cast their lot with another group of fellas in the cold, flat lands to the west. As a quick google search will tell you, most Maryland fans are hesitant to leave such a fantastic conference. UMD helped found and grow the ACC and the university is all the better for the opportunity to engage with such a fantastic collection of institutions. This is a substantial change and as such, it invokes both hopes and fears.


Hopes:
1) I hope we retain the long-standing relationships we have with many of our ACC comrades, particularly our neighbor UVA.

2) I hope part of the deal is that the B10 has to sponsor D1 men's lacrosse. The ACC is the league for lacrosse and I hope that the B10 intends to at least stand in that shadow.

3) I hope the benefits are real. This better pay off both academically and financially.

Fears:
1) I fear our departure triggers a series of misfortunes for the ACC. With grumblings from Clemson and FSU, as well as rumors of of a hybrid league with Georgetown/Navy/etc., the ACC could be in for a rough patch. While I hope this move proves successful for UMD, I also hope that the ACC remains strong enough for us to look back with a twinge of regret (unlike how Syracuse and Pitt view their departure from the Big East).

2) I fear there may be a clash of cultures. Maryland is not a football-first school filled with friendly mid-westerners. We're an east coast basketball and lacrosse school filled with paranoid mid-Atlantic power mongers (this is DC after all). I hope we can create a positive first impression that doesn't involve psychedelic uniforms.

3) I fear we will once again miss out on the opportunity to build relationships with Pitt and Syracuse. I was really looking forward to that.


All the best,

-AL

I for one will truly miss you Maryland. It is sad to see you go.... It is going to be sad knowing this years basketball games could be our last, hell I have a distinct interest in the football game on Saturday now. I wish you the best, but I also wish the ACC the best, I love the ACC almost as much as I do Carolina.

(11-19-2012 10:43 AM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  2) I hope part of the deal is that the B10 has to sponsor D1 men's lacrosse. The ACC is the league for lacrosse and I hope that the B10 intends to at least stand in that shadow.

Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Maryland, and maybe Rutgers.

You could grab Denver and AF or another ECAC team as associate members.

(11-19-2012 10:52 AM)OrangeXtreme Wrote:  

(11-19-2012 10:43 AM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  2) I hope part of the deal is that the B10 has to sponsor D1 men's lacrosse. The ACC is the league for lacrosse and I hope that the B10 intends to at least stand in that shadow.

Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Maryland, and maybe Rutgers.

You could grab Denver and AF or another ECAC team as associate members.

Annual B10 lax schedule < ACC lax schedule.

We're about to take a huge blow to our strength of schedule. Playing the ACC teams 2X gives us a ton of cred. The only upside I can see is that it may be easier to get a tournament invite from the B10 than the ACC due to the volume of qualified schools.

Thx for the kind words brotha. Best of luck to Maryland. You're more than welcome here.

No offense, but I hope that the ACC teams refuse to schedule Maryland non-conference. It's like a middle aged man divorcing his wife for a 22 year old coed (although it's the B1G, so she's probably kinda chunky not all that hot), but asking if they can still be friends.

(11-19-2012 10:55 AM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  

(11-19-2012 10:52 AM)OrangeXtreme Wrote:  

(11-19-2012 10:43 AM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  2) I hope part of the deal is that the B10 has to sponsor D1 men's lacrosse. The ACC is the league for lacrosse and I hope that the B10 intends to at least stand in that shadow.

Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Maryland, and maybe Rutgers.

You could grab Denver and AF or another ECAC team as associate members.

Annual B10 lax schedule < ACC lax schedule.

We're about to take a huge blow to our strength of schedule. Playing the ACC teams 2X gives us a ton of cred. The only upside I can see is that it may be easier to get a tournament invite from the B10 than the ACC due to the volume of qualified schools.

If the B10 does nothing, you can always go Indy. Works for Hopkins, and it worked for SU for many years.

Best of luck to Maryland. I was looking forward to a series with our school. Hopefully thus doesn't spell disaster for the ACC down the road.

ACC schools should refuse to play Maryland. Make it tougher to get close games.. force higher travel costs and fewer fan support at away games.

Contests Maryland. Lots of history now gone between our programs.

We were the catalysts in the formation of the ACC when both programs gave the Socon the finger and accepted bowl bids in 1951.

Maryland was the last original ACC school to have a winning record vs Clemson in football.

The meetings between Danny Ford and Bobby Ross in the 1980's were epic. Had Maryland not fell off the face of the Earth post Ross there was a genuine "I effin' hate you!" type rivalry developing there.

If you polled long time Clemson fans on the hoops coaches they hated the most all-time it would likely look like this:
1. Dean Smith
2. Ratface
3. Lefty Driesell

Good luck in the B1G!

I get the impression that Maryland President doesn't see ACC schools as peer institutions. He needs to get over himself. Way to burn bridges on the way out.

More with the belittling ACC academics.

Imagine what giving people that couldn't manage a 60 million dollar budget a 100 million dollar budget!

The Maryland admin act like they are curing cancer and these poor kids are now saved from poverty.

I think Maryland are being ******** painting it as the ACC's fault they can't balance a budget.

(11-19-2012 03:19 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  Imagine what giving people that couldn't manage a 60 million dollar budget a 100 million dollar budget!

The Maryland admin act like they are curing cancer and these poor kids are now saved from poverty.

I think Maryland are being ******** painting it as the ACC's fault they can't balance a budget.

Yeah, he acts like they have CUSA revenues while playing in the ACC. Imagine what he would have had to do if they were in the Big East.....

Playing the sympathy card is really frustrating....

Revenue has doubled over the past few years and Maryland couldn't balance their budget. They are going to double it again and suddenly they've made up all the shortfalls and then had enough left over to give boatloads back to needy students.

I'm not buying it.

It certainly seems that the B1G is leaving the door open to more of these "receptive" conversations with universities. Mentioning they have models for 16 teams already. I think it is clear this isn't their final goal.

I wish Maryland well in the B1G. It will certainly be more profitable and I have a feeling Syracuse may get an offer from the B1G between now and 2017.

I always had a place for Maryland. even when they tried being our rival in the early 2000's...but hope the ACC will not play the Terps again. dont let the door hit you on the way out!