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Rutgers and its proximity to the New York media market appeal to the Big Ten.

(Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)

The Big Ten's appeal to Rutgers is undeniable. The invitation to join the conference offered Rutgers a lifeline when the Big East was splintering. The move will join Rutgers with prestigious athletic and academic institutions – and it also brings boatloads of revenue through its television network and media deals.

For the Big Ten, Rutgers offered entry into the coveted New York media market, which is expected to bolster the Big Ten Network's viewership.

"That was huge because a lot of it is creating interest and turning on television sets to watch the Big Ten brand," said Bill Lynch, who coached at Indiana from 2007-10. "I think that's a motivating force behind all the movement with conference realignment around the country and that was the next step for the Big Ten, to get on the East Coast. When I was coaching in the league, Rutgers' name was thrown around a lot. The name that came up after I left the league that most people weren't talking about was Maryland. The Big Ten commissioner (Jim Delany) and presidents saw a real value to getting on the East Coast to bring both Rutgers and Maryland in."

After adding Penn State in 1990, the Big Ten held steady at 11 teams for over two decades before Nebraska joined in 2011. The expansion continued with the addition of Rutgers and Maryland, which takes effect on July 1.

The reception to the expansion from fans around the league has been mostly lukewarm, but Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo is excited about the additions of Rutgers and Maryland.

"I love it. To me, the more the better," said DiNardo, who coached at Indiana from 2002-04. "Let's expand East, expand West, expand South – wherever we can go. I think we're all chasing the SEC and I think the more competition, the more fertile recruiting ground, the better."

With TV revenues dictating many decisions in college athletics, it was a no-brainer for the Big Ten to spread its reach to the East Coast. By infiltrating the New York and Washington, D.C., areas, the Big Ten Network has added the No. 1 and No. 9 media markets in the country.

The Big Ten distributed approximately $25 million to each of its member schools last year, with $7.6 million coming from the Big Ten network.

"As you take a look at the Midwest, our population is decreasing," said Barry Alvarez, the former football coach and current athletic director at Wisconsin. "That Eastern seaboard and certain parts of the country continue to increase in population. We have to be progressive in our thinking and be a part of that growth. I think it was a natural thing. I think they both fit. I like our how are divisions are broken up. I think it really made sense."

The Big Ten is banking on the New York market, but it's not necessarily up to Rutgers to carry the interest.

"I think there's an appeal to the alumni base, which is tremendous on the East Coast of Big Ten schools, and I think it will appeal, obviously, to the Rutgers fan base," said DiNardo, a Queens native. "And it appeals to the people that are neither that love college but are located in the East, which has not been a hotbed of college football. I think you're going to draw crowds from the alumni bases at Rutgers, other Big Ten schools and just in general, people that want to see great college football."

There's an expectation that fans of Big Ten opponents will invade High Point Solutions Stadium next season. Wisconsin visits Rutgers on Nov. 1 and Alvarez expects a strong turnout from Badgers fans.

"You'd be surprised, we have a huge group of alums in the East Coast – New York, New Jersey, that area," Alvarez said. "I think about 20 percent of our student body is from New York and New Jersey. Our people are excited."

This is the third entry in a series focusing on various aspects of Rutgers' transition to the Big Ten based on interviews with these former coaches. The first entry focused on what the coaches' believe is Rutgers' primary advantage as it enters its new conference. The second entry focused on the physical challenges that Rutgers will encounter in its first season of Big Ten play.