“Stix Night” highlights Maryland basketball’s 2019-20 promotional schedules

The Maryland men’s and women’s basketball teams began their 2019-20 seasons with dominant wins on Tuesday. Earlier in the week, the two programs announced this season’s promotional schedules on Monday.

Let’s start with women’s basketball, who are having another white-out game, Nov. 10 v. No. 8 South Carolina, where the first 250 students get a white-out t-shirt. Maryland has previously played the Gamecocks in a white-out game two years ago, losing 94-86. The Terps will look to flip the script this season.

Maryland has kept with its tradition of releasing bobbleheads for members of the senior class. Last season, it was Brianna Fraser. This season, it’s a group of four: Kaila Charles, Blair Watson, Stephanie Jones and Sara Vujacic.

All fans will receive a scratch-off ticket at the gate and 400 will take home one, starting with Vujacic against Nebraska on Jan. 16, Watson against Indiana on Jan. 20, Jones against Michigan St. on Feb. 3 and Charles against Iowa on Feb. 13. 

Senior Day is on Feb. 25 against Purdue, with the first 3,500 fans receiving glow sticks.

For the men’s team, the standard color rush nights are back, though it seems like the black-out game hasn’t been scheduled. However, given the black-out game is typically reserved for the biggest home non-conference game, it might be against Notre Dame on Dec. 4. 

The student flash mob game is also not scheduled, as per usual. The flash mob game takes place during a weekend game in the spring semester. The only open date that fits the requirement is the highly anticipated showdown with Michigan State on Feb. 29

This is the first time in recent memory that the gold-rush game is in the fall semester, Dec. 7 against Illinois. The annual tradition in its 11th year is usually a staple during the spring semester.

Also back are the red-out game with a “Jurassic Park” theme, Jan. 30 against Iowa and the White Out game on senior-day, March 8 against Michigan. The red-out game features a fun student promotion, a $500 cash giveaway during “pregame half-court shots”.

The Ugly Holiday Sweater shirt giveaway is back as 250 long sleeve Maryland-themed ugly holiday sweater shirts will be given away before Maryland’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge clash with Notre Dame on Dec. 4. The Terps are winless in the challenge since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

We’ve left the best promotion for last, “Stix Night”, where the first 250 students will receive Jalen Smith-inspired goggles, the rest of the students receiving “glow STIX”. Stix Night will take place against Nebraska on Feb. 11.