Here's an article from the Baltimore Sun which partly looks forward to the Big Ten move, but also starts to face up to the reality that they're moving a weak football team to a powerful football conference where they have absolutely no ties other than some ancient ones to Penn State.
In other words: no juice, no rivals. Check it out:
"Here's the good news and the bad news about Maryland football's rivalry situation.
The bad news is that Maryland has no readily apparent rival lurking in the Big Ten.
The 'good' news is that it had no compelling rivalry in the ACC either, so fans aren't losing much in that regard."
Here's the reality: when you suck long-term no one cares. As Duke fans, we could testify to this until quite recently. Even our vaunted rivals UNC didn't care about playing Duke in football much anymore - but after this past year's game, you can bet they will next season.
This isn't news to Maryland - the fans have stayed away in droves and the debt they incurred expanding facilities in part drove the to the Big Ten, hoping for a financial windfall.
Life isn't going to be any easier there for football.
The writer goes on to say that he's " going to miss the Duke-Maryland men's basketball games. There's one more coming next season in Durham. Sure, the Cameron Crazies hated North Carolina more than Maryland and chanted 'Not our rivals!' at the Terps. But that's how you knew they cared. Otherwise, they wouldn't have wasted their breath."
Uh, not exactly. Some of the games have been very intense and at times riveting, but playing Maryland - well, dealing with Maryland - is like getting a root canal. You might appreciate your dentist, but you don't much like dealing with him. The chant was dismissive, not affirmative.
The heated pennies, the water bottles, the vicious fans - who needs it. Maryland has talked for decades about being sick of the ACC and especially the North Carolina schools. Well, now they've finally done something about it.
Just as a point of interest, Wikipedia lists Maryland's football rivals as Virginia, West Virginia, Navy and Penn State. UVa's gone; their dance card is full. West Virginia might squeeze them in. Navy's better than Maryland now most years, and you generally try to schedule wins for non-conference games.
So enjoy Penn State.
Meanwhile, the ACC replaces Maryland with Louisville, a school which is very happy to join the ACC, and which plays both football and basketball at a higher level, and which come in with certain ACC rivalries already in place (Syracuse, Duke and soon enough, UNC).
So things work out. Maryland has their supposed money and no rivals. The ACC goes on. It's a shame to lose a founding member, but that's their choice. All they have to do is to live with it.