Welcome Aboard To The Big Ten: Maryland

It has not as been as popular of a decision as when Nebraska joined, but Maryland and Rutgers will soon be joining the Big Ten. Now that the winter sports season is over and Purdue sports are going back to sleep it is time to look forward a bit to the 2014-15 season in the revenue sports of football and men's basketball. That means two new conference opponents in the Terrapins and Scarlet Knights.

In football, it matters very little to Purdue. The Boilermakers don't meet either one for another two seasons. Both will be coming aboard for the 2014-15 basketball season, which, as we know, is a big one for coach Matt Painter.

So let's get to know the new guys a bit. First, there is Maryland today, with a profile on Rutgers coming tomorrow.

Maryland Football

• Program started in 1892.
• Randy Edsall is entering his third season as head coach.
• The Terrapins play at 52,000 seat Byrd Stadium, making it slightly larger than IU's Memorial Stiadum.
• Overall record of 620-553-43

Purdue and Maryland have only met once in football, and it was in the 2006 Champs Sports Bowl. The Terrapins won that game 24-7 and, if I remember correctly, it wasn't even that close. Maryland had the football most of the night and only a touchdown pass from Curtis Painter to Greg Orton got Purdue on the scoreboard.

Overall Maryland has been slightly more successful than Purdue. They have been to 25 bowl games after losing to Marshall in last season's Military bowl and are 11-12-2 in postseason games compared to Purdue's 9-8 record. Maryland has a National Championship in its history, which came in 1953. They also had nine ACC championships with the most recent coming in 2001.

Their program is pretty similar to Purdue, and their bowl game last season broke a three-year bowl-less streak. They are often pretty good, but rarely among their conference's best. They have a "rivalry" with Penn State that is among the most lopsided in college football as Penn State leads it 35-1-1. Maryland's only victory came in 1961, and the two will meet for the first time in 21 years this fall.

As for their stadium, I have been there once and it is not bad. I attended their 2011 season opener against Miami as part of a long weekend where Mrs. T-Mill wanted to see her Hurricanes in a Labor Day night game. It was nowhere close to selling out even as a nationally televised night game, so tickets would be relatively easy to come by.

Maryland Basketball

• 2002 National Champion
• 2001 and 2002 Final Four
• The Terps have made 24 NCAA Tournaments, but have missed three straight under Mark Turgeon.
• 38-23 all-time in the NCAA tournament
• Play in the Comcast Center (17,950)

First of all, we owe the Terps a debt of gratitude, as their National title in 2002 came at the hands of Indiana. They personally prevented a sixth banner from going up in Assembly Hall, so those in West Lafayette are forever grateful.

Their title is, historically, one of the few things separating them from Purdue historically. They have been to 24 tournaments to Purdue's 22. Both schools have been to a pair of Final Fours, while Maryland was the ACC champ only six times to Purdue's 22 Big Ten titles.

Purdue and Maryland have never met in basketball, and they will only meet once in 2014-15 in Mackey Arena. I find this pretty surprising considering all the years of the ACC/Big Ten challenge, but it is true. As a program the Boilers are a perfect 5-0 against teams from the state of Maryland, going 3-0 against Coppin State, 1-0 against Towson, and beating Maryland-Eastern Shore this past season.

Women's Basketball

Women's basketball needs to be mentioned because it seems like Purdue has had a large number of players come to it as transfers from Maryland. It is a good program to come from too. The lady Terrapins just made their fifth Final Four this season and they won the 2006 National Championship seven years after Purdue won its title. Maryland is a fixture in the women's tournament with 11 appearances in 12 seasons and they often hang around a bit. They have been at least to the Elite Eight five times in the last eight years.

Purdue is only 1-4 against the Maryland women's program, with the only victory coming in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. Maryland won 70-59 and 56-55 in the women's ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Baseball

Maryland often serves as fodder in the absolutely brutal ACC, which regularly gets eight teams into the NCAA Tournament. Purdue and Maryland actually played during the magical 2012 season and they were the only team to beat the Boilers in our 14-1 start to the regular season. It has been 43 years since they last made the NCAA Tournament.

Other sports

Maryland has 40 national championships, but the vast majority (all but seven) have come in lacrosse and field hockey. They have also recently won a pair of men's soccer championships. Since Purdue does not have a team in any of these sports it won't affect us much.

Stuff to do if you see the Boilers at Maryland

Well, it is only the very reason that Jim Delaney added them. Maryland is within the Capital Beltway and is part of the Washington DC market. If you go for a long weekend, as I did three years ago, there is plenty to do and see in Washington DC. The College Park campus is within public transportation of the DC subway network, so it can definitely be considered an urban campus.

Later on I will have more from the SB Nation site Testudo Times.