Sources: Johns Hopkins Lacrosse to Announce Joining the Big Ten Monday
Terry Foy June 2nd, 2013
Multiple sources have told Inside Lacrosse that Johns Hopkins will on Monday announce its intentions to join the Big Ten as an affiliate member in men's and women's lacrosse. By extension, the announcement keys the formation of Big Ten men's and women's lacrosse as league-sponsored sports for the first time.
The announcement will bring to fruition a several-month process to find a conference home for JHU's men's lacrosse program, which has played as an independent for 130 years. The Big Ten emerged as a target for the Blue Jays after Maryland and Rutgers announced their departure from the ACC and Big East, respectively, and intentions to join the Big Ten. That would make five men's lacrosse programs along with Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, one short of the required six for an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
While many specifics of the membership remain unclear, a source believed that the women's team would join a newly formed Big Ten in 2014 (which would include Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Michigan, who will be playing their first varsity season) and the men's team will join in 2015, which would coincide with Maryland and Rutgers' arrival.