Before each of his first three seasons as coach of the Terrapins football team, Randy Edsall attended ACC Media Days. In his 2011 inaugural campaign, Edsall traveled to Pinehurst, North Carolina. And for the past two seasons, the former Connecticut coach made pilgrimages to Greensboro, North Carolina, to field a barrage of questions from reporters.

This year, though, Edsall had nothing to do with the preseason ACC extravaganza because of this university’s move to a different conference, the Big Ten. In fact, Edsall was on a beach during the ACC Media Days last week, enjoying the sunshine with his mind far removed from the long-tenured conference the Terps officially departed from earlier this summer. 

“I was enjoying the heck out of St. Thomas,” Edsall said. 

When he returned from the tropics, Edsall headed west to Chicago for the program’s first-ever Big Ten Media Days, which took place on Monday and Tuesday. And the fourth-year coach made it clear that his disinterest in the ACC is a direct result of his refusal to live in the past, though the vacation certainly helped as a distraction. 

“Change is inevitable in life, and what you do is you embrace change,” Edsall said during his press conference Monday. “At the end of last season, we pretty much put it forward that this is where we’re going and this is what we have to concentrate on. And this is what our future is.” 

Edsall touched on a number of topics while taking to reporters, from recruiting to seeking advice from other coaches to which games he is most looking forward to on the Terps’ 2014 Big Ten slate. He said the home game against Ohio State  could ignite an “electric” atmosphere at Byrd Stadium. 

But perhaps most noteworthy was Edsall discussing his involvement in this university’s move to a new conference. Edsall said Athletic Director Kevin Anderson approached him early in the process to ask him about the possibility of making the move to the Big Ten. 

“I just told him I was all for it,” Edsall said. “[That I thought] it would be a really good move for us and one that I would embrace, and I’m sure that I know our players would embrace, to be part of the history and the tradition and what the Big Ten stands for.” 

Quarterback C.J. Brown, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and cornerback Jeremiah Johnson accompanied Edsall to Chicago. Johnson missed a majority of the 2013 season with a broken toe and was limited in spring practices because of a hamstring. Likewise, Diggs was sidelined with a broken leg for most of last season. 

Edsall confirmed that both players are fully recovered and ready to go for the Terps’ 2014 campaign. Johnson is listed as a backup corner behind sophomore Will Likely on the preseason depth chart, but Edsall said that is simply because of the amount of time Johnson missed since his injury last fall. 

Jeremiah Johnson

As far as recruiting, Edsall admitted the move to the Big Ten has had a positive effect on his ability to get athletes excited about playing in College Park. The coach said he’s expanded from his previous foothold because of the exposure from the Big Ten Network along with the possibility of playing bowl games in Texas, Florida, New York and Detroit, among other places.

Nonetheless, Edsall said his approach has not changed regarding the type of players he wants to bring into his program. 

“We’re already seeing those benefits from a recruiting standpoint, but we’re not going to change the model that we have based on maybe what everybody else does,” Edsall said. 

More than anything else, though, Edsall conveyed his enjoyment in how close the season is to getting underway. After all, when the opening whistle blows to start the Terps’ season opener against James Madison on Aug. 30, talk of new conferences and realignment will quiet. Then, Edsall can concentrate on what’s important. 

And that’s playing football. 

“I’m just glad that we’re finally to the point now where we can go and play games,” Edsall said. “It has been a long time, it seems, to get to this point. But I’m glad we’re here, and I’m glad it’s getting close to August and starting practice and getting the opportunity to compete against these outstanding programs and institutions.”