The Univ. of Maryland's deal to join the Big Ten "includes not only the lucrative annual payouts that all members receive, but also a significant concession obtained by the school -- a subsidy worth tens of millions of dollars from the conference to offset athletic teams' anticipated higher travel costs," according to sources cited by Jeff Barker of the Baltimore SUN. The subsidy "made an already appealing offer of Big Ten membership even more attractive to the school." Sources said that the subsidy is "in the range of $20 million to $30 million." The cost of "sending its teams halfway across the country ... was projected by the school to approximately double its travel budget." Maryland's travel budget for '12-13 is about $3M, while the projected figure for '14-15 -- the school's first year in the Big Ten -- is $6M. The subsidy "underscores how much the Big Ten coveted Maryland and the accompanying Baltimore-Washington television market." It was "not clear when the subsidy is to be received and whether it will be a lump sum or series of payments." Rutgers also has "studied the implications of Big Ten travel and is exploring creative solutions, but apparently not subsidies" (Baltimore SUN, 3/16).
