I'll give you that Minnesota has a better chance of winning the west than Maryland does the east, but that's the only advantage Minnesota has. To most outside of Minnesota, DC is a more desirable location with better weather, facilities that are farther along, recruiting base, and now a better coaching staff.
I don’t know how three teenagers from Florida perceive Minnesota viz-a-viz Maryland, and it’s their perception that in the end will be the only thing that counts. I only know how I perceive the two. I was born in Minneapolis, and raised in Minnesota. But I have lived in Washington. D.C., and its environs for a total of fifty years. The DC area is beautiful and it’s rich in history. College Park, where the University of Maryland is located, however, is not a particularly desirable location. It’s a suburban location and the surrounding area is not that attractive. Nor is the campus particularly attractive. Yes, there is a campus subway station that gives students easy access to downtown DC, but I have doubts as to how important that is to the average student. I’m biased, but I prefer the Minnesota campus by a wide margin.
As for facilities, I think we have the edge. At the moment, Maryland is the only BIG school without an indoor football practice facility. Yes, they are working on one, but we have one and are replacing ours. And we have a clear advantage in terms of our stadium.
In terms of weather perception, this is probably our biggest disadvantage. There is no question that Minnesota has cold winters: perhaps not so much colder than some of our BIG rivals, but cold. But Minnesota also has beautiful summers and falls. And DC area summers can be pretty brutal, but not as brutal as Florida. Moreover, there is a big difference between the Twin Cities and the DC area in terms of dealing with snow removal. Our local DC area governments are challenged. Commutes home during a snow can take several hours. Again, not a concern of teenage football recruits.
Where I think Minnesota has the clear advantage is in terms of academics. When Lenny Bias died of an overdose, there was an inquiry, which concluded, as I recall, that Maryland was placing a greater emphasis on sports than academics. I think Maryland has made a concerted effort since then to reverse their priorities, but I think they still lag behind the BIG schools academically, including the University of Minnesota. I don’t know how important academics are to the Florida trio.
As for respective coaching staffs, I think that is an open question.
In the end, I suspect the Florida trio will make their collective decision based upon their feelings about coaches, playing time, and like factors. And, unfortunately, the fact that we don’t have an OC in place isn’t helpful in that regard. Let’s hope for the best.
