It's transformative day for Rutgers University. And transform it -- so many ways. The Big Ten Conference is the ultimate academic neighborhood to live it. And we're now in that neighborhood with like minded institutions -- schools this is not just about collaboration. On the fields -- play this is about collaboration at every level. The perspective the Big Ten institutions have the balance between academics and athletics proving. Over decades and decades that athletics at the highest level and academics the highest level can coexist. It's a perfect place for records for athletics. The Big Ten Conference is the model. It's the ultimate. It's ahead of the curve and it's set the bar so many areas with this means for us it means stability. In an unstable time it's secure our future as an athletics program and university it's given us great access. To so many things competitively. Including the new post season in football which is a critical piece to our success going forward. Financially the Big Ten provides financial resources that. Rockers will need to be able to move our program forward to provide our coaches and student athletes with the ultimate experience. In the last but not least dismal TV guy would tell you in 2007 the Big -- was ahead of the curve when -- at all the Big Ten network. Is now being emulated by everybody all over the country in professional and college sports but for all of our sports this will provide the ultimate platform of exposure. Which not only helps build the brand of this great university. What also helps to recruit and bring good people to Rutgers University which is always our daily -- This relationship and that's exactly what it is. It's a relationship. Might write about what rockers will get in the Big Ten I'll tell you all today this relationship is perfect storm of relationships our jobs starting today. At Rutgers is going to be to help create new value. For the Big Ten Conference to bring new things to the party that's gonna help further this conference is the greatest conference in college sports together we have a great opportunity. To set the bar there's. A lot of change in in turmoil. In intercollegiate athletics over the last decade. The big tennis and it's a 117. Of football season so we've been around the block. For a while I think we're noted for our traditions. In our partnerships. And and to be honest with you on -- slow to change and in some regards but also hopefully David. Towards opportunities when they present. So. Tony territory three years ago Penn State became a member of the Big Ten and we pretty much stayed -- eleven institutions. For two decades. And you know what what does eleven mean I don't know what it means is not an easy number to schedule around it's a prime number. And beyond that I'm not sure it's a great number. To build structure around but we were very comparable. -- with that number but as as times change and evolve our college athletic skews slightly larger. And most of them. You know developed into twelve team -- conference -- twelve institutions. And you know couple years ago we decided to look in that process of looking now -- we found a great partner in Nebraska. And I doubt that fit and it's been comfortable. At the time. Conference has started looking at more than twelve members you know our response to that was to try to establish a collaboration. With the pac twelve conference. And and get some of the benefits of expansion without really going beyond there's really thought that. Conferences -- best that played each other most and to build those traditions and build those experiences and build those rivalries -- If anything I think the partnerships in this. In the mid western part of the country have been predicated on repetition. Have joint experiences joint markets and and that worked well -- that wasn't possible. -- what we saw happening around us was most of the major conferences moving out of the historic boundaries. And you know we we thought that we needed to at least be aware of what the potential was and as we looked. All around. Our neighborhood and out of our neighborhood. We recognized. That rocker's. Was not only great institution but was an institution. That we had we had we had a lot of commonwealth and we want it to. To reach out. Tim and I have known each other for probably fifteen there -- twenty years. And dom in the last round we got to know each other a little bit better and Bobby -- we stopped at Nebraska we've looked at the larger. Larger structures. He said let's just keep in contact let's just keep talk and I said -- how you keep me informed I will keep you informed so there was no real beginning. To this conversation this is a conversation this played out over three or four years. Me keeping him apprised of of how we are thinking and him keeping me apprised of how tractors with thinking -- a certain point. Bob came to the table were able to really discuss what their dreams or what their vision was. While we were able to talk about what we are trying to accomplish. And -- our president's authorize. What I would describe as a as an initiative. To take Penn State use it as a bridge. Into the east and so the net result was we had conversations with the University of Maryland we had conversations with -- and that's. Essentially where we are focused and if we can achieve that. We thought that our future was not only in our region but also in the eastern minute plan -- And basically that's what's come to be our people are really excited about it we're not asking. That New Jersey. Moved to the midwest we're gonna move to the east so that you could beat yourselves we can be ourselves -- together joined the partnership. So that one both partners you know I enhance each other somebody says what -- directors bring. Rutgers brings an incredible. Amount of on. Of of of commonality on the research side on -- undergraduate side. And what they bring to the Big Ten is the possibility. Of building a presence. And awareness. And to me it's not just Rutgers is directors at northwestern it's Raptors and Michigan it's Rutgers in Ohio State. But importantly I don't think you can do this of one institution I think it's going to be. Rutgers and Maryland Rutgers and Penn State. Penn State and Ohio State and Iowa and Wisconsin together and if anything. Is gonna bring stability. To all of us it's successful partnerships. The partnership with a Rose -- goes back to 1903. The partnerships that we have throughout the ball systems in Texas and and Florida are important to CIC is important. Really important it's the only foundational interaction. Among all conference members and any collegiate conference in the country. Our pro Los meet regularly and they engages all sorts of collaboration that's critical. I think the Big Ten network represents an effort partners. We've got a joint venture partner fox. And when we went to the table to try to resolve it. There are a lot of questions how'd you do that you get into this how do you get into this business of meeting you values what you find a partner who believes in what you're trying to achieve. That means an equal number of immense offense for men an equal number of events for women it means no alcohol advertising. They are -- partner that has helped us get into 92 million homes nationally. So there are only eight million cable homes in the country that can't access. And while we're gonna roll while we're gonna do is is attempt to take all of these partnerships and all of these member institutions on the academic. Athletic and commercial side to bring them together to enhance everybody's position in intercollegiate athletics and higher education so. Welcome Rutgers. Were excited as we could be there's great enthusiasm. Fire athletic directors and presidents on the -- in the unanimous way to welcome Rutgers into the Big Ten Conference.