The Big Ten Conference has expanded for the second day in a row.

Rutgers University announced Tuesday it would become the 14th member of the conference.

On Monday, the University of Maryland accepted an invitation to become the conference’s 13th member, saying the Big Ten was the right balance between academics and athletics.

Rutgers athletics director Tim Pernetti and President Robert Barchi had a similar message.

“It is an honor to join such a prestigious conference and begin our partnership with the outstanding institutions in the Big Ten,” Pernetti said Tuesday in a release. “There is no finer conference in the nation that combines top-notch academics and athletics.”

Barchi said in the release that the Big Ten is home to some of the most highly regarded academic institutions in the U.S. He said it is “exactly the right conference” for Rutgers.

Rutgers is the nation’s eighth-oldest institution and a premier research university. It will depart from the Big East Conference, where it has been a member since 1991.

The Big East requires 27 months’ notification for departing members. Rutgers will have to negotiate a deal with the Big East to leave early.

Like Maryland, Rutgers had to submit a written application and have it approved by at least 70 percent of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors.

The council unanimously approved Rutgers’ application.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said in the release that the additions of Rutgers and Maryland further expand the Big Ten’s footprint while helping solidify its presence on the East Coast.

The revenue Rutgers receives from the Big Ten’s television and media deals could quadruple in the near future.

The Big Ten paid each of its members about $25 million last year. The Big East’s payout to each football member’s school last year was reportedly $6 million.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.