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BASEBALL Now: Under longtime head coach Fred Hill Sr., the Scarlet Knights made the NCAA Tournament four times last decade. The Big East Conference’s national clout was hurt by the defection of Miami in 2004. The last conference team to make the College World Series was Louisville in 2007. After: Rutgers could emerge as the class of the conference. You find the best baseball either down South or out West. The power conferences are the ACC, Pac-10 and SEC. A Big Ten team has not made the CWS since Michigan in 1984.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRYNow: At the Big East championships in October, Rutgers finished 12th out of 14 teams. Syracuse won the Big East title and finished 14th at nationals. Four other Big East schools made the Top 25. After: The conferences are similar. Wisconsin won the conference title and took seventh at nationals. Two other schools made the Top 25.

MEN’S GOLFNow: The Scarlet Knights have made the NCAA Tournament twice since 1983. No Big East school has ever won the NCAA Championship. After: Minnesota won the national title in 2002. Luke Donald won the individual championship for Northwestern in 1999.

MEN’S LACROSSENow: After years of negotiating and posturing, the Big East lacrosse league began play this season. Rutgers sits in the middle of the pack, a notch lower than national powerhouse Syracuse. After: There is no Big Ten lacrosse. The Scarlet Knights would either have to rejoin a conference like the ECAC, play as an independent or hope schools like Michigan add the sport — and Syracuse will agree to join another conference.

MEN’S SOCCERNow: Since 2000, the Scarlet Knights have had four winning seasons. They finished 14th in the conference last season. Five Big East teams made the NCAAs this season. Connecticut has two national titles and St. John’s one. After: Five Big Ten teams made the tournament field in 2009. Indiana earned their 34th consecutive berth. The Hoosiers have won seven national titles.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELDNow: The coach, Mike Mulqueen, also oversees men’s cross country. The team won two individual Big East titles in outdoor track last year and two more in indoor track. At the indoor championships this year, no Big East teams finished in the Top 10. After: There’s plenty of fluctuation. At the 2009 NCAA outdoor championships, no Big Ten teams finished in the Top 30. At the 2010 NCAA indoor champion-ships, two Big Ten teams reached the Top 10.

WRESTLINGNow: The Scarlet Knights are competitive in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, a league of mostly private schools such as Bucknell, Franklin and Marshall and Princeton. Rutgers sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament this winter. After: The Big Ten and the Big 12 rule the collegiate mats. Iowa won its third straight team title this year. Six Big Ten wrestlers won national titles.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLNow: After rising to the sport’s summit a few years ago, Rutgers is battling to maintain its foothold. Connecticut is the nation’s juggernaut, St. John’s could be a Top 10 team next year. It’s a deep, difficult league. After: Recruiting the Tri-State area might be tougher, with the Scarlet Knights losing games against nearby opponents. But C. Vivian Stringer dominated the Big Ten once.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRYNow: At last year’s Big East championships, the Scarlet Knights finished 13th out of 16 teams. Villanova won the national title. West Virginia finished sixth. After: Illinois’ Angela Bizzarri won the individual title last year. The teams in the Big Ten could not match her pace: Only one (Minnesota) cracked the Top 10.

WOMEN’S GOLFNow: Maura Ballard coaches the men’s and women’s teams. The Scarlet Knights finished last in 2009’s conference championship. After: Neither the Big Ten nor the Big East shines on the links. But Purdue’s Maria Hernandez won the national title last year.

FIELD HOCKEYNow: After winning 14 games in 2008, the Scarlet Knights backslid last season. They dropped 10 straight to start and finished with just two victories. Before 2008, Rutgers had not experienced a winning season since 1999. After: The ACC dominates. Three of their teams — Maryland, North Carolina and Wake Forest — have taken the past eight NCAA titles. Before that? Michigan in 2001. Three Big Ten teams made the Tournament last year.

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICSNow: Much like with wrestling, there is no Big East gymnastics, so Rutgers helped form the East Atlantic Gymnastics League in 1995. The Scarlet Knights have never won the conference title. After: There are seven Big Ten gymnastics teams and all seven made the NCAA Regionals this year. One, Michigan, made the Nationals round of 12. No EAGL team did that.

WOMEN’S LACROSSENow: The Scarlet Knights began Big East play in 2001. They posted a winning conference record once (and went 3-3 twice). Rutgers has been excellent out of conference this year, angling for a tournament berth. After: Northwestern built a dynasty — five straight national titles — in the American Lacrosse Conference. There is no Big Ten league, but with Rutgers and a few potential others, one could be formed.

WOMEN’S ROWINGNow: Rutgers competes for the Big East, while also owning membership to the Eastern Association of Women’s Rowing Colleges. The program began competing at the varsity level in 1977. After: The Big Ten sent four teams to the NCAAs last year. Stanford won.

WOMEN’S SOCCERNow: Here’s a non-revenue sport where the Scarlet Knights have shined. They’ve had just one losing season since 2000. Head coach Glen Crooks has led them to five NCAA bids. For the Big East, Notre Dame reached the national title game in 2006 and 2008. After: Despite the brutal fall temperatures that might scare away recruits, the Big Ten manages to field competitive programs. Although no one is close to toppling perpetual champ North Carolina, five Big Ten schools did make the postseason tournament in 2009.

SOFTBALLNow: Right now, the Scarlet Knights sit last in the conference. They are on pace for their 10th-consecutive season below .500. But at least it’s better than 2005, when the team went 5-43. After: The Big Ten drought here isn’t as extended as the baseball drought is. Michigan won the national title in 2005. Northwestern was the runner-up in 2006. No Big East team owns a title.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVINGNow: The university cut the men’s team following the 2006-2007 season. The cut coincided with one of the best women’s seasons in school history. Rutgers sent one swimmer to the NCAAs in 2009. After: It’s not like the conditions change: A pool is a pool. Five Big Ten teams placed in the Top 25 at last year’s tournament.

WOMEN’S TENNISNow: No Big East school has ever won a national title. No Big East player has ever won a singles titles. Rutgers placed a player on the all-conference team in both 2008 and 2009. After: The Big Ten isn’t much better. No team titles or singles titles — a pair from Northwestern won the doubles title in 2006.

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELDNow: Since 1996, Rutgers’ best finish in the indoor conference championships was seventh. Outdoor was better: They took fourth once. After: Indoor? Outdoor? It doesn’t really matter. Much like the Big East, the Big Ten can’t hang with the likes of the Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALLNow: Rutgers finished 13th in the division this year but won 10 games in the process. From 2006 to 2009, they won 10 games total. The conference champion, Notre Dame, lost in the first round of the NCAAs in 2009.

After: It’s all about the Nittany Lions. Penn State captured their third straight national title last year. Coach Russ Rose built a powerhouse there, with 102 consecutive victories and 29 straight tournament bids.

— Andy McCullough

big TEN

UNIVERSITY LocaTIoN PUbLIc/PRIVaTE UNdERgRadS (2009) gRadS UNIVERSITY hEad ENdowmENT (mILLIoNS) aThLETIc dIREcToR mEN’S TEamS womEN’S FooTbaLL STadIUm (caPacITY) baSkETbaLL aRENa (caPacITY) FooTbaLL coach (SaLaRY) mEN’S baSkETbaLL coach (SaLaRY) womEN’S baSkETbaLL coach (SaLaRY) aThLETIcS dEPT. EXPENSES (2008-09)

RutgeRs New Brunswick Public 28,031 8,010 Richard McCormick $544,992 Tim Pernetti 9 13 Rutgers Stadium (52,454) Rutgers Athletic Center (8,000) Greg Schiano ($2.07m) Mike Rice ($650,000) C. Vivian Stringer ($970,922) $58,354,222

W. ViRginia Morgantown, W.Va. Public 21,930 6,910 James Clements $315,121 Ed Pastilong 7 10 Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000) The Coliseum (14,000) Bill Stewart ($878,000) Bob Huggins ($2m) Mike Carey $53,368,035

syRacuse Syracuse, N.Y. Private 13,651 5,715 Nancy Cantor $658,248 Daryl Gross 8 12 Carrier Dome (52,000) Carrier Dome (31,000) Doug Marrone (N/A) Jim Boeheim ($1.3m) Quentin Hillsman (N/A) N/A

PittsbuRgh Pittsburgh Public 17,427 10,135 Mark Nordenberg $1,837,216 Steve Pederson 8 9 Heinz Field (65,050) Pederson Events Center (12,508) Bill Wandstedt ($979,288) Jamie Dixon ($1.6) Agnus Berenato ($306,254) [08-09] N/A

connecticut Storrs, Conn. Public 16,765 7,508 Michael Hogan $254,684 Jeff Hathaway 10 12 Rentschler Field (40,000) Gampel Pavilion (10,027)/XL Center (16,294) Randy Edsall ($1.45m) Jim Calhoun ($1.6m) Geno Auriemma ($1.4m) $58,355,426

LouisViLLe Louisville, Ky. Public 15,352 5,482 James Ramsey $599,712 Tom Jurich 9 12 Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium (60,000+) New Downtown Arena (22,000) Charlie Strong ($1.6) Rick Pitino ($2.25m) Jeff Walz $58,931,534

cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Public 20,914 8,703 Gregory Williams $832,924 Mike Thomas 8 10 Nippert Stadium (35,100) Fifth-Third Arena (13,176) Butch Jones ($1m) Mick Cronin ($750,000) Jamelle Elliott ($200,000) $44,780,811

s. FLoRida Tampa, Fla. Public 35,918 10,271 Judy Genshaft $275,398 Doug Woolard 8 9 Raymond James Stadium (65,857) Sun Dome (10,411) Skip Holtz ($1.82m) Stan Heath ($325,000) Jose Fernandez ($125,000) $35,213,059

notRe daMe South Bend, Ind. Private 8,363 3,368 Rev. John Jenkins $4,795,303 Jack Swarbrick 13 13 Notre Dame Stadium (80,795) [FBS Ind.] Joyce Center (11,418) Brian Kelly ($3m)* Mike Brey Muffet McGraw N/A

seton haLL South Orange Private 5,264 4,405 MSGR. Robert Sheeran $174,800 Joe Quinlan 7 9 None Prudential Center (10,000) None Kevin Willard Anne Donovan N/A

geoRgetoWn Washington Private 7,092 8,226 John DeGioia $883,182 TBA 12 13 Multi-Purpose Field (2,500) [FCS] Verizon Center (20,173) Kevin Kelly John Thompson III Terri Williams-Flournoy N/A

ViLLanoVa Villanova, Pa. Private 7,160 3,114 Rev. Peter Donahue $266,701 Vince Nicastro 10 12 Villanova Stadium (12,500) [FCS] The Pavilion (6,500)/Wachovia Center (21,600) Andy Talley Jay Wright Harry Perretta N/A

MaRquette Milwaukee, Wis. Private 8,012 3,621 Rev. Robert Wild $285,500 Steve Cottingham 6 6 None Bradley Center (18,850) None Buzz Williams Terri Mitchell N/A

st. John’s Queens, N.Y. Private 14,816 5,293 Rev. Donald Harrington $268,650 Chris Monasch 7 9 None Carnesecca Arena (6,008)/MSG (20,000) None Steve Lavin Kim Barnes Arico N/A

PRoVidence Providence, R.I. Private 4,350 735 Rev. Brian Shanley $122,110 Robert Driscoll 7 10 None Dunkin Donuts Center (13,000) None Keno Davis Phil Seymore N/A

dePauL Chicago Private 15,782 8,570 Rev. Dennis Holtschneider $245,574 Jean Ponsetto 7 8 None Allstate Arena (18,500) None Oliver Purnell Doug Bruno N/A

Non-revenue sportsFootball, of course, provides the impetus for any conference realignment. In men's basketball, coaches will lose the built-in recruiting tool of playing near home during conference play and then at Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament. But what about the rest of the sports? Here's a look at the potential future of the non-revenue sports at Rutgers if it joins the Big Ten:

THE BIG IDEA

UNIVERSITY LocaTIoN PUbLIc/PRIVaTE UNdERgRadS (2009) gRadS UNIVERSITY hEad ENdowmENT (mILLIoNS) aThLETIc dIREcToR mEN’S TEamS womEN’S FooTbaLL STadIUm (caPacITY) baSkETbaLL aRENa (caPacITY) FooTbaLL coach (SaLaRY) mEN’S baSkETbaLL coach (SaLaRY) womEN’S baSkETbaLL coach (SaLaRY) aThLETIcS dEPT. EXPENSES (2008-09)

iLLinois Champaign, Ill Public 31,173 10,709 Robert Easter $1,112,010 Ron Guenther 10 11 Memorial Stadium (70,000) Assembly Hall (16,618) Ron Zook ($1.025m) Bruce Weber ($405,000) Jolette Law ($310,000) $73,643,345

indiana Bloomington, Ind. Public 32,490 9,857 Michael A. McRobbie $1,226,505 Fred Glass 10 12 Memorial Stadium (52,692) Assembly Hall (17,456) Bill Lynch ($658,750) Tom Crean ($2.36m) Felisha Legette-Jack ($175,000) $55,652,636

ioWa Iowa City, Iowa Public 30,328 9,754 Sally Mason $766,262 Gary Barta 10 12 Kinnick Stadium (70,585) Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) Kirk Ferentz ($3.02m) Fran McCaffery ($1.1m) Lisa Bluder ($233,908) $71,116,910

Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. Public 26,208 15,466 Mary Sue Coleman $6,000,827 David Brandon 12 13 Michigan Stadium (110,001) Crisler Arena (13,751) Rich Rodriguez ($2.52m) John Beilein ($1.3m) Kevin Borseth $84,542,142

Michigan st. East Lansing, Mich. Public 36,489 10,789 Lou Anna K. Simon $1,046,975 Mark Hollis 11 12 Spartan Stadium (75,005) Breslin Center (16,280) Mark Dantonio ($1.81m) Tom Izzo ($1,7m) Suzy Merchant $81,404,459

Minnesota Minneapolis Public 29,978 14,148 Robert H. Bruininks $2,073,205 Joel Maturi 11 12 TCF Bank Stadium (50,805) Williams Arena (14,321) Tim Brewster ($1m) Tubby Smith ($1.8m) Pam Borton $70,322,993

n’WesteRn Evanston, Ill. Private 8,497 7,880 Morton Schapiro $5,445,260 Jim Phillips 8 11 Ryan Field (49,256) Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117) Pat Fitzgerald (N/A) Bill Carmody ($1.1m) [2007] Beth Combs N/A

ohio state Columbus, Ohio Public 41,348 10,385 E. Gordon Gee $1,161,561 Gene Smith 18 19 Ohio Stadium (102,329) Value City Arena (19,500) Jim Tressel ($3.72m) Thad Matta ($2.5m) Jim Foster $119,859,608

Penn state State College, Pa. Public 38,630 6,202 Graham Spanier $1,226,011 Timothy M. Curley 14 13 Beaver Stadium (107,282) Bryce Jordan Center (15,261) Joe Paterno ($1.09m) Ed DeChellis ($500,000) Itoro Coleman N/A

PuRdue West Lafayette, Ind. Public 29,851 5,734 France A. Cordova $1,457,543 Morgan Burke 9 9 Ross-Ade Stadium (62,500) Mackey Arena (14,123) Danny Hope ($825,000) Matt Painter ($843,000) Sharon Versyp $57,707,608

Wisconsin Madison, Wis. Public 29,153 8,710 Kevin P. Reilly $1,373,034 Barry Alvarez 11 12 Camp Randall Stadium (80,321) Kohl Center (17,230) Bret Bielema ($1.48m) Bo Ryan ($1.25m) Lisa Stone $89,643,069

big EAST

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It was a strange — but perhaps visionary — concept. The league only had 10 teams and had just agreed to enter a deal with the Pac-10 to play a bowl game every year on New Year’s Day. They had to share revenue, ticket sales and attention. But if there was a way to stage the Rose Bowl game themselves . . .

“Walter suggested to then-Big Ten commissioner Tug Wilson that the league take in two teams,” former Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke recalled.

“He wanted Nebraska in the west and Pittsburgh in the east. With those two extra teams, they would play in two six-team divisions with the winners playing for the conference championship in the Rose Bowl.

“Where have you heard that before?” Interestingly, Nebraska and Pittsburgh are still central to the Big Ten

expansion discussion — as is Rutgers, Syracuse, Missouri and even Notre Dame— that could become a reality in the coming months.

Duke laughed at the notion that conference expansion is a new idea, and, unlike Byers’ attempt, isn’t likely to be shot down.

The Big Ten already expanded once before, in 1990, when it added Penn State as the 11th school.

So when you hear about the possibilities of another conference expansion and the Big Ten changing the way college sports is viewed, just remember — it’s in the Big Ten’s blood.

The ink was barely dry on The big Ten’s conTracT wiTh The 1946 rose bowl when The league’s parT-Time publiciTy man, walTer byers, had an idea. whaT if The league added Two more Teams and held a conference TiTle game aT The rose bowl?

big Ten eXpansion mighT be JusT The firsT moVe in a naTionwide resTrucTuring, wiTh The pac-10 and sec hinTing aT Their own addiTions. here’s a look aT how Things could shake ouT:

*basketball only

bosTon collegewake foresTn.c. sTaTemarylandn. carolinadukeVirginiaVirginia TechcincinnaTiuconn

wesT VirginiasouTh floridamemphisTemplecenTral floridalouisVilleVillanoVa*noTre dame*georgeTown*sT. John’s*

BIG ATLANTICSEC

mega conferences

oregonarizonaoregon sTaTesTanforduscboise sTaTefresno sTaTeneVada

californiawashingTonuclaarizona sTaTewashingTon sT.coloradounlVsan diego sTaTe

PAC-10kansas sT.iowa sT.kansasTeXasoklahoma sT. TeXas TechoklahomaTeXas a&m

baylorTcuTulsabyuuTahnew meXicohousToncolorado sT.

BIG 12illinoisindianaiowamichiganmichigan sT.minnesoTa n’wesTern nebraska

ohio sTaTe penn sTaTepurduewisconsinRuTGERSsyracusemissouripiTTsburgh

BIG TEN

ATLANTIC 10 SETON HALLrichmond

rhode islandcharloTTe

dayTonduQuesne

sT. bonaVenTuregeorge washingTon

umasssainT Joseph’s

la sallefordham

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proVidencedepaul

floridaTennesseegeorgias. carolinakenTuckyVanderbilTclemsonflorida sT.

alabamalsuole missarkansasauburnmiss. sTaTegeorgia Techmiami

7 7

by brendan prunty | sTar-ledger sTaff

SOURCES: USA TOdAy COllEgE AThlETiCS finAnCE dATAbASE, nATiOnAl CEnTER fOR EdUCATiOn STATiSTiCS*according to espn.com sources

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