The population within the existing footprint was shrinking and with it potential younger fans. The move was brilliant. It brought the BTN into the NY market and that gave each team an additional $4M/year. The population within their footprint increased dramatically.

Both Rutgers and Maryland are AAU members so academia was satisfied.

Rutgers is the poster child for athletic department mismanagement. The year before the invitation to the BIG, the university had to lend the athletic department $26M just to get out of the hole. Despite that, the need to expand was stronger and the BIG invited them.