Jim Delany Thinks Rutgers Should Be Way More Enthusiastic About Joining the Big Ten
By Ty Duffy
The Big Ten extended its bejeweled hand to Rutgers, inviting it to partake in the rarefied athletic air. Jim Delany thinks “there should be more enthusiasm” emanating from the Rutgers campus about “the Big Ten opportunity” set before them. Even Maryland is more excited.
"“When we went to Nebraska it was full speed ahead and both groups were going in the same direction,” he said. “Same way with Penn State. Same way with Maryland, even though there should be more enthusiasm here (than Maryland) because the Big East move to the Big Ten may be less controversial than the ACC move to the Big Ten. “But you really can’t, unfortunately, see much of that now except for what I would describe as the logistical issues. But there should be, in my view, far more momentum than there is. But I understand why there’s not. Now all we can do is keeping pushing forward through the fog.”"
“Logistical issues” aren’t helping. But, even abuse-free, Rutgers is very different from other Big Ten additions. Very few people have ever cared about Rutgers athletics, at least on a level the Big Ten would recognize. Penn State and Nebraska won multiple national titles in football before joining. Maryland, for all its faults, has multiple ACC titles in football and an NCAA Title in basketball this century. The only thing Rutgers approaches the pinnacle of in college athletics is deficit spending.
[Photo via USA Today Sports]