Tennis star Mark Philippoussis will not be the only athlete on TV this summer. Coach Ralph Friedgen and the Terrapin football team will share the small screen with the star of Age of Love with their own reality TV show.
Terrapins Rising, about the Terps’ spring practices, debuts Monday on Comcast Sports Network. The series will run for ten weeks on CSN on Mondays at 8 p.m. each week, with a rerun of the show each week at 8 p.m. Tuesdays.
The show, produced by Under Armour, was the brainchild of Brian Ullman, the external operations associate director for the Athletics Department.
“I try to sell season tickets during the summer,” Ullman said. “We have a partnership with Under Armour for joint marketing programs.”After pitching the idea successfully to Under Armour, CSN and Friedgen, Ullman and the Athletics Department hired Jess Atkinson to direct and shoot the show. Atkinson, a former Terp and Washington Redskins place kicker, has previously filmed Fridge TV and Under the Shell, which followed Friedgen and women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese during each sports’ respective season.
Atkinson said he and his crew were given complete access by Friedgen and his staff, including putting mics on the coaching staff and many of the players.
“We just followed every practice and shot all that we could,” Atkinson said. “As story lines developed, we asked players and coaches about it – it’s very much their point of view, their perspective on the world.”
The film crew followed the team through practices and scrimmages as well as meetings on- and off-the-field. Atkinson said the level of access was unparalleled and allowed the crew to follow the players individually, picking up storylines over time.
Among other storylines, fans will see Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis battle for the starting quarterback position. Morgan Green’s development as the third-string running back and Matt Goldberg’s struggle to get into a game as a wide receiver were also caught by Atkinson and his crew.
“Storylines are framed by individual struggles to see if you have what it takes to make it,” Atkinson said. “Big steps are taken during the spring – individually and collectively – by the players to earn the coaches’ trust.”
While Atkinson will continue filming the team during the season, the level of access will not be the same as it has been this spring. Fans of Fridge TV will notice the difference.
“The biggest difference is that in the regular season, you’re standing in the same room with Ralph, or on the practice field,” Friedgen said. “In [Terrapins Rising], you are standing right next to him everywhere.”
Contact reporter Jeff Amoros at sports@dbk.umd.edu.
