Rutgers sues Big East over exit fee, wait time

Rutgers has filed a lawsuit against the Big East in attempt to get out of the league's $10 million buyout and 27-month waiting period to join the Big Ten.

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 football schools, and the effect is to penalize certain members if they seek to withdraw."

Rutgers points to the way the Big East allowed Syracuse, Pittsburgh, TCU and West Virginia to leave the league in less than the 27-month waiting period, and alleges the Big East has failed to collect $39.5 million in withdrawal fees from departing schools -- money that was set to be divided among remaining members.

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."

In New York, attending the IMG Forum, Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti told ESPN: "We do not comment on pending litigation."

The Big East had no comment on the lawsuit.

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.

Information from ESPN's Brett McMurphy was used in this report.