Skip to main content

Big Ten announces it will open office in New York

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany will split his time in New York and Rosemont, Ill. (Jason Szenes/Getty Images)

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany will split his time in New York and Rosemont, Ill. (Jason Szenes/Getty Images)

In a sign of the changing landscape of college football, the Big Ten Conference -- traditionally populated with Midwestern schools -- will open an office in New York City, according to an announcement from the conference.

This summer, East Coast schools Rutgers and Maryland will officially join the conference, additions that will increase the total number of Big Ten teams to 14. Rutgers is located in New Brunswick, N.J., and Maryland is located in College Park, Md., just outside Washington, D.C.

The Big Ten's main headquarters are in Rosemont, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. The New York office will be located in Midtown Manhattan.

MANDEL: Mailbag: Examining the changing Heisman Trophy landscape

The press release states that the new office will help conference officials "[conduct] business on the East Coast," and that commissioner Jim Delany will split his time between the Rosemont and New York offices. From the announcement:

Three Big Ten staff members working in branding, championships, communications and compliance will be based in the New York City office to provide expanded coverage and service, while Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany and senior staff will maintain a presence in both the New York City office and the conference's current headquarters located in Rosemont, Ill. In addition, other conference and institutional administrators will utilize the space as necessary when conducting business on the East Coast. The Big Ten and its member institutions will also have access to satellite office space in Washington, D.C.

"We are excited to be on the East Coast and to open a second office in New York City," Delany said. "With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, we have become a conference with a significant presence in two regions of the country. While the space will be utilized full time by Big Ten staff, it will also be open to our member institutions conducting business in the city. New York is one of the world's greatest cities, and this provides an opportunity for connecting with our many conference partners, media and alumni in that area."

Rutgers and Maryland will officially join the conference on July 1, 2014. The move has been in the works since it was announced in November 2012.

SI WIRE: Nebraska's Kenny Bell says he and Kain Colter discussed unionizing Cornhuskers