Phil Grosz has a spotty track record. He's been right about things in the past, he's also been way off. But what I believe makes this credible is that Jeff Ermann, publisher of Inside Maryland (the 24/7 Maryland beat) is indicating this is a very realistic probability and is giving off vibes that it's probably going to happen.
The Big Ten has always coveted Maryland as a possible target. And in previous preliminary discussions, the Terps have always reciprocated interest. But at the time, the Big Ten was waiting for Notre Dame's next move and Maryland was waiting a bit to see what happened with the ACC's next TV deal. The ACC deal wound up being less than expected and Notre Dame recently joined the ACC in other sports. So that brings us to now.
As absurd as it is, the B1G sill craves a Notre Dame partnership no matter how many times the girl says 'no.' But the only way that will ever happen is if the ACC is shaken a bit. The Big Ten could start that process by adding Maryland, which would precipitate a Florida State move to the Big 12 along with Clemson or Pitt (or both). If/when that happens, the Big Ten will suddenly have changed the landscape again and would have three spots for Notre Dame, Rutgers, Connecticut or an ACC package of Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Virginia; or something along those lines.
The other thing people talk about is $50 million exit fee. But that's a non-issue. For starters, that fee will never see the light of day. As it always is, it will be negotiated prior to exit. Nebraska wound up paying half of what was reported initially. The difference, right now, between the Big Ten's total distributed revenue to institutions and the ACC's amount is nearly $9 million a year per school. If Maryland could negotiate a $27 million exit fee, that amount would be paid off in three years time by joining the Big Ten without lowering the budget one cent. But the truth is the Big Ten would likely cover the cost of the exit fee and then have Maryland pay back a prorated amount out of their annual league share.
In my estimation, Maryland to the Big Ten has always made a lot of sense and I gather it will happen. Still not sure if it will be this soon but I do believe it's a matter of time.