As the ACC women’s basketball tournament gets underway, I find it bittersweet as this will be Maryland’s penultimate appearance…for no really good reason that I can fathom. Certainly not geography. Certainly not tradition. In 2014, poof, that disappears and Maryland becomes one of the outlier newcomers of the Big 10 conference who will be tolerated more than welcome. No string of tournament appearances. No history of wins. Reduced access for fans and family (road trips are no longer just a trip up/down I-95). Tougher recruiting because the rivalries are gone.
Normally I’d say something half-jokingly like, “But I’m not bitter,” but frankly, I’m bitter as all-get-out. No offense to the Big 10, they are a great and storied conference, but it’s not the right fit for Maryland (or Penn St or Rutgers, either, for that matter). sigh Guess I should enjoy the ACC run for as long as it lasts. Who knows…maybe they’ll change their mind and decide to stay.
