NEW YORK (AP) - Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany described the conference's current position on expansion is "inactive but alert."

The Big Ten unexpectedly shook up the landscape of major college sports last month when it announced Rutgers and Maryland would be joining. Maryland will lead the Atlantic Coast Conference and join the Big Ten in 2014. Rutgers' departure date from the Big East is more ambiguous, but the Big Ten and the school would like it to be by 2014.

Delany says that while there are risks that come with expansion, the Big Ten felt there was more long-term risk for the conference if it did not expand toward the East Coast.

Delany, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive and Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco appeared together at the Intercollegiate Athletic Forum, sponsored by the Sports Business Journal.

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