Rutgers sues Big East

Rutgers has filed a lawsuit against the Big East in an attempt to get out of the league’s $10 million buyout fee and 27-month waiting period before it can join the Big Ten.
The lawsuit, filed in Middlesex County Court in New Jersey, was reported earlier by Courthouse News Service.

Rutgers contends in its complaint that the $10 million exit fee “arbitrarily applies to some, but not all, of the Big East schools, and the effect is to penalize certain members if they seek to withdraw.”

The complaint states: “The court should accordingly enter an order declaring the Bylaws to be void and of no effect as between the parties, permitting Rutgers to withdraw from The Big East prior to July 1, 2015, or in alternative, declaring that The Big East has waived Rutgers’ obligation to abide by the 27 months notice provision and the requirement of a withdrawal fee.”

Another school heading to the Big Ten, Maryland, has been sued by the ACC, which claims the school owes the conference a nearly $53 million exit fee.