Conventional wisdom says that the Big Ten Conference added the Maryland Terrapins and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights so it could sell Big Ten Network subscriptions to the people of Maryland and New Jersey, respectively. While there is some truth behind that rumor, there’s also more to it. The Big Ten was also in search of “blue chip” football recruits - players rated with either four or five stars.
One team which has notably benefitted from playing annual Big Ten football games in this region is the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have positioned themselves as the second-best team in the Big Ten East, behind only the Ohio State Buckeyes.