A decision this morning from the University of Maryland's board of regents will trigger the latest wave of NCAA conference realignment.

According to the website InsideMDSports.com, the College Park, Md., school has voted to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference to join the Big Ten.

ESPN.com reported moments later that the Maryland board voted to join the Big Ten.

A formal announcement is expected by Maryland today on campus at 3:00 p.m.

"Our best wishes are extended to all of the people associated with the University of Maryland," ACC commissioner John Swofford said today in a statement released by the conference. "Since our inception, they have been an outstanding member of our conference and we are sorry to see them exit.”

Carousel-Rutgers-Sports-Logo.jpg

MORE COVERAGE OF RUTGERS ATHLETICS



• Rutgers to join Big Ten once formal invitation extended by conference

• Politi: Moving to the Big Ten is a no-brainer for Rutgers, but is it more than another tease?

• Rutgers players bypass Big Ten talk with Pittsburgh matchup looming

• Rutgers-Big Ten marriage not conversation topic -- yet -- for commissioner

• Rutgers to Big Ten: A Q&A with the Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein

• If Big Ten invite comes for Rutgers, athletic director Tim Pernetti authorized to accept it



• Big Ten lures Maryland from ACC, perhaps setting stage for Rutgers to join also

• Rutgers Sports stories and columns

The move could have a significant effect for Rutgers. Maryland will be the Big Ten's 13th member school. With the aim of adding a 14th member to the conference, it was expected before today's meeting at Maryland that should the school accept, Rutgers would then be extended an invitation.

Rutgers' board of governors is also meeting today, though according to the school's Facebook page, a vote on switching conferences is not part of the agenda.

Greg Brown, a member of Rutgers' board of governors and board of trustees, declined comment on Rutgers' possible move to the Big Ten, referring all questions to the university's president, Robert Barchi.

At a press conference this morning announcing Rutgers' integration with UMDNJ, Barchi said, "We're here to talk about the events of this morning and we're not going to comment on anything outside of that at this particular event."

Rutgers is a charter member of the Big East for football, joining the conference in 1991. By 1995, Rutgers had become of full member of the Big East.

Leaving the Big East would entail a $10 million exit fee and a 27-month waiting period. Early releases, however, have been negotiated in the last year between the conference and West Virginia, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Maryland will face an exit fee as high has $50 million to leave the ACC. InsideMDSports.com reported today that the sum, after negotiations, could be closer to $25 million and will possibly be paid by the Big Ten.

After today's vote, Maryland will apply for Big Ten membership and needs the approval from nine of the Big Ten's 12 current member schools to join the conference. However, since an invitation has already been extended, this process is considered a formality.

Star-Ledger staff writer Tom Luicci contributed to this report.

Follow @starledger

More Sports news