Big, big news for the suddenly ever-changing Big Ten Conference.

According to a post on ESPN.com, the University of Maryland is in serious negotiations to join the Big Ten. If that happens, Rutgers is expected to follow suit.

The Big Ten, of course, actually has 12 schools after Nebraska joined in 2011. Penn State became the 11th school in 1993. Before that the conference featured the same 10 teams - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin - since 1953.

If this happens, it will have a major effect on the conference. But none on the new Big Ten hockey conference set to begin next season. Neither Maryland nor Rutgers fields varsity hockey.