As this university moves to the Big Ten this summer, the athletic department and student organizations are planning ways to build a stronger, more cooperative relationship between student-athletes and the university community.
At a Residence Hall Association meeting Tuesday, Senior Associate Athletic Director Lori Ebihara said athletes want more collaboration and interaction with the student body.
“We want to think big,” Ebihara said. “We want to think big with you. We want to think big together. We want new tradition here.”
The athletic department created the Athletic Department Student Advisory Council in the fall to give representatives from various student groups the opportunity to advise and work with the athletic department to address student concerns. The council consists of representatives from RHA, Student Government Association, Graduate Student Government, Panhellenic Association, Interfraternity Council, United Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council. It also includes several students at large, whom Ebihara calls “super fans,” and a few student-athletes.
“This group can start to break down whatever barriers there are between students and student-athletes,” said Sam Cox, RHA chief information officer and athletic council liaison. “I think that is a problem with this campus, and it’s something that needs to be fixed.”
This year, the council has discussed alcohol sales at athletic events and brainstormed ideas for a freshman sports guide with the SGA traditions and programming commission. Members have also talked about plans for on-campus tailgating events, screenings of old athletic games at Hoff Theater in Stamp Student Union, an official Terps fan club and town hall-style meetings for students to express concerns or ask questions directly to athletic department representatives, Cox said. In between meetings, they’ve worked to pass legislation in their respective organizations.
Cox said Ebihara, the council’s adviser, has been enthusiastic about the collaboration.
“She has really given us a great perspective and great hope for the direction of this group and how far we can really go,” Cox said.
Other RHA senators said they were excited for athletics to be more accessible and involved on the campus.
Senators suggested coaches attend more on-campus events to help build relationships with students and that athletes join organizations such as hall and area councils to provide input on issues or ideas from an athletic perspective.
Cox and Ebihara said the partnership is important for the university because students often make their strongest memories at athletic events. It’s a major part of being a student at this university, they said.
“When we leave college and we leave Maryland, we will talk not only about the friends we made and the random silly times we’ve had, but we will talk about the memories we had at sporting events,” Cox said. “We will recall when we beat Duke for the last time in basketball. We will remember how it felt to be standing in the student section when they let the giant Maryland flag roll down over our heads and we all jumped up and down to the crazy music.”
