TRENTON — Rutgers University's lawsuit against its athletic conference will be punted north.

A federal judge ruled this week that the Rutgers case — which challenges a $10 million exit fee the university is required to pay for leaving the former Big East conference — should be transferred to the conference’s home state of Rhode Island.

The conference, now called the American Athletic Conference, filed a motion asking the judge to either dismiss the case or move it to Rhode Island, citing a requirement in the conference’s bylaws. U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp declined to throw out the case, but granted the request to transfer the lawsuit to the District of Rhode Island.

The judge found the case should be heard in Rhode Island, where the court would have the authority to “compel” the two sides into arbitration, according to the 15-page ruling handed down Thursday.

Mike Aresco, commissioner of the American Athletic Conference, said he was happy with the judge’s ruling.

“We are pleased that Judge Shipp recognized that the conference bylaws were validly amended and are enforceable, and that to the extent that Rutgers decides to proceed with its claims (which we think are without merit) it must do so in arbitration, as those bylaws require,” Aresco said in a statement.

Rutgers officials declined to comment on the judge’s ruling.

"We do not comment on pending litigation," said Greg Trevor, a Rutgers spokesman.

Rutgers announced last year it was pulling its athletic teams out of the Big East to accept an invitation to join the more prestigious Big Ten conference in 2014.

The university immediately filed a lawsuit arguing it should not have to pay a $10 million exit fee for leaving the Big East or wait the required 27 months to pull out because conference officials had bypassed those rules when other schools left in recent years.

Several universities, including Syracuse, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, paid lower fees or were given shortened waiting periods to depart the Big East, Rutgers’ lawyers said.

Rutgers also accused the conference of holding back millions of dollars in revenue owed to the university.

Rutgers plans to join the Big Ten on July 1.

Last month, Rutgers officials said the university expects to pull in at least an additional $200 million over 12 years by joining the Big Ten and sharing in the conference's lucrative television contracts.

The Big Ten includes Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern and other schools with large athletic programs. It will take Rutgers six years to become a full member of the conference and fully share in the Big Ten’s profits.

Star-Ledger staff writer Ted Sherman contributed to this report.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Rutgers expects $200M windfall with move to Big Ten Conference

• Rutgers accuses Big East successor of holding back $2.5 million in exit fee dispute

• Messy divorce: Rutgers sues Big East for breach of contract over $10M exit fee

FOLLOW THE STAR-LEDGER: TWITTER • FACEBOOK • GOOGLE+