Athletic Director Kevin Anderson speaks with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany outside of the Under Armour brand store during the Maryland Big Ten clothing unveiling in Baltimore on June 30.
During a rally to celebrate this university’s move to the Big Ten on July 1, Wallace Loh promised those gathered at Mitchell Field that the Terrapins would make their presence known in their new conference.
Now, seven months later, the Terps have established themselves in the Big Ten with statement wins, increased attendance and conference championships.
The men’s soccer and field hockey teams both won their respective regular season titles. Men’s soccer won its Big Ten Tournament as well. Randy Edsall and the football team turned in road wins against traditional college powers Michigan and Penn State. And the women’s basketball team is ranked fifth in the country with a perfect record in Big Ten play.
The men’s team, meanwhile, is ranked for the first time in coach Mark Turgeon’s Terps career.
“[Campus] is a lot more excited [than last year],” Abhi Udayshankar, a sophomore finance major, said. “There’s definitely a lot of spirit. The athletic department did a good job with marketing and handing out shirts students would want to wear.”
Still, those who are excited now might not have been at the outset of the transition.
“My initial thought was years of history for Maryland was going down the drain,” said Kevin Sims, a senior economics major.
Not only was the loss of tradition a cause for concern among Terps fans, but this university was also locked in a heated lawsuit with the Atlantic Coast Conference over a pending exit fee. A mediated settlement in early August eased the switch, though.
“Due to the tireless effort the University and our athletic department put forth in the 18 months leading up to our move to the Big Ten, it’s been a seamless transition and we are off to an outstanding start both academically and athletically,” Athletic Director Kevin Anderson wrote in an email.
The widespread athletic success and addition of the Big Ten Network have also generated more fan support. The football program earned a 14 percent increase in attendance, the second-largest among Power-5 schools. Season ticket sales increased by 25 percent, and the university sold out two home games for the first time since 2007, according to Anderson.
“Big Ten teams bring in more fans, and it’s traditionally a tougher conference, which means more competition,” said Adolfo Blassino, a freshman computer engineering major.
The realignment has already led to plans for changes to the campus, too. In early December, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved plans to convert Cole Field House into an indoor football practice facility.
This university is the only Big Ten school without such a facility.
“The facility puts us on par with other schools for better recruiting,” said Justin Goldspiel, a junior accounting and management major. “The sports medicine and entrepreneurship centers are a plus for academics, too.”
In the next six months, five more Terps teams will be making their mark in the Big Ten: baseball, softball, women’s tennis and men’s and women’s lacrosse. The baseball team was ranked in three preseason polls, and women’s lacrosee will be defending a national title.
“We have a promising future and understand there are always new and exciting challenges that are in front of us,” Anderson wrote.
