Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany will "spend the better part of the next two months on the East Coast" as the conference "prepares for the official arrivals of new members Maryland and Rutgers on July 1," according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com. Delany will "spend part of May and June" on both campuses. Delany's purpose is two-fold -- "facilitating the arrivals of Maryland and Rutgers, and establishing the Big Ten in a new region." The conference earlier this month announced that its N.Y. office will be operational by June 1. There also is a "satellite office" in DC, which "Big Ten officials and those from member schools can access." Delany said, "It's really necessary to be engaged and to be seen and to be welcoming, and to begin to build. People appreciate it. It takes some time and effort, but it's well worth it." Rittenberg noted Delany will "meet regularly with schools officials to manage the transitions." Maryland has "events scheduled" in Baltimore and at Nationals Park on June 30 -- the eve of its Big Ten arrival. Delany will "attend a Rutgers event Friday" in N.Y., and the school "has other gatherings" in New Jersey and DC in May and June. The "reaction to Rutgers and Maryland in Big Ten territory and throughout most of the country has been lukewarm." However, Delany has seen "great energy" at his East Coast stops (ESPN.com, 4/29).
