Should Maryland football go back to the Atlantic Coast Conference?

Does Maryland Football need a new scenery laid before them following years of abuse dealt to them by the Big Ten?

The answer to the question above is trivial: yes.

Maryland football is not good right now, and it’s showing no signs of improvement for the foreseeable future. This is especially so for as long as they will be playing in a conference that is head and shoulders above them (AKA the Big Ten).

The Terrapins have failed to obtain an ounce of relevance since they fled from the Atlantic Coast Conference following the 2013 season. And now, eight years later, the ACC is still about as welcoming as a Power Five league will ever be for a team of Maryland’s gameplay standards.

Because of this, along with the rivalries that would be revived in the process, common sense says that Maryland should participate within the Atlantic Coast once again.

Looking at their most heated rivals in regards to all-time meeting count, the Terrapins’ five biggest foes are all in the ACC (Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Virginia, respectively). The Tigers and Demon Deacons are tied for last place amongst the five schools with 62 all-time meetings with Maryland.

For reference, only one Big Ten adversary has encountered Maryland more than 16 times in their history, and that is Penn State with 44. To say that the Atlantic Coast Conference is home to the Terps is a massive understatement.

This should not come as too much of a surprise, either. The ACC was formulated in 1953, with Maryland football being a charter member. As a result, they played in the league for approximately six decades, with little-to-no interaction with any Big Ten powers all throughout.

Why should Maryland football return to the ACC?

If Maryland were to return to their roots, they would give both their school and their fans more to fight for every college football season. Even if they would continue to struggle, a conference win would mean much more, as it would be over an opponent with whom the Terrapins have a deep history.

Going back to competitiveness, the ACC only has one title contender as of right now. Outside of that, just giving the Terps some halfway-decent coaching and recruiting would make the rest of the league fair game.

To summarize, everyone wins if Maryland were to return to the Atlantic Coast Conference, including Maryland themselves. Rivalries would be remastered and Maryland would be bound to improve as a force to be reckoned with in the college football world.