A day after the University of Maryland approved a move to the Big Ten Conference, Rutgers University did the same.

The Rutgers Board of Governors voted to accept the conference’s invitation – leaving the Big East, where it has been a football member since 1991 – the school announced Tuesday.

“This is a historic day for Rutgers University,” Rutgers Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Pernetti said in a news release. “It is an honor to join such a prestigious conference and begin our partnership with the outstanding institutions in the Big Ten. There is no finer conference in the nation that combines top-notch academics and athletics.”

Rutgers and Maryland will become the 13th and 14th members in the Big Ten, respectively. Rutgers has been a full member in the Big East since 1995.

While Maryland is scheduled to begin competing in the Big Ten July 1, 2014, the Scarlet Knights will reportedly try to pay an exit fee of as much as $20 million to the Big East Conference to begin playing in the Big Ten as soon as possible, according to an article published in the New York Daily News Tuesday.

The move is another blow to the Big East Conference, which has 12 members planned to compete in football in 2015. The conference was forced to add eight schools after losing Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Texas Christian and West Virginia last fall.

The Big East lost its automatic Bowl Championship Series bid last week. Instead, the highest ranked team from a “Group of Five” conferences made up of the Big East, the Mid-Atlantic Conference, Conference USA, the Sun Belt Conference and the Mountain West Conference will receive an automatic bid.

As a new wave of conference realignment begins, the conference could face more uncertainty. Boise State and San Diego State, two of the Big East’s new additions, are considering rejoining the Mountain West Conference due to the most recent developments, according to ESPN.com.

Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco said in a statement Tuesday that the conference’s additions in the past year have been crucial to expanding its scope.

“The Big East has created a unique national football conference that is a factor in the BCS Championship, remains the nation’s strongest basketball conference top to bottom, and is a major force across the full spectrum of men’s and women’s college sports,” Aresco said in the statement. “We remain committed to, and confident in, the continued growth and vitality of the Big East Conference.”

The Rutgers men’s basketball team hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 1991. The football team has been to just seven bowl games, though six of them have come in the last seven seasons and the team is currently ranked No. 22 in the AP poll.

RU submitted a written application to the Big Ten Tuesday. The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) voted unanimously to approve the Scarlet Knights’ application.

“When considering the full spectrum of academic, athletic and research prowess, Rutgers clearly makes for a perfect fit as one of the premier public land-grant institutions on the East Coast,” COP/C Chair and University of Iowa President Sally Mason said in a news release. “We are excited to welcome them within our ranks, and look forward to collaboration and competition with yet another great Big Ten university.”

Published on November 20, 2012 at 2:57 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2