For the additions of Maryland and Rutgers to be the Big Ten masterstroke Jim Delany hopes (and believes they are), it's fair to say those two programs will need to make further inroads into their respective metro areas -- both of which are, of course, extremely competitive when it comes to fan an media attention.

Anyways, that's our best explanation for why the Big Ten mascots and a handful of cheerleaders showed up at the White House for this amusing "selfie" tweeted by the Big 
Ten's official Twitter feed:

As for why Purdue Pete has snagged the plum front-row, sledgehammer-prominent spot in the photo while the Scarlet Knight -- you know, one of the two mascots being welcomed in the huge promotional poster -- has to lean over in the back row just to get his nose on camera ... well, that we don't have any explanation for.  

UPDATE: Here's a follow-up. No one mention that's the Lincoln Memorial, not the Washington Monument: