By Ben Geffner and Faith Harris
Standing behind a glass window overlooking the Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center court, Brenda Frese observes.
The Maryland women’s basketball’s coach has seen her team take the hardwood for consistent workouts in the Terps’ new facility over recent weeks. Oftentimes, Frese advises players to take time away to rest — a testament to the state-of-the-art facility and something she tabs as a great problem.
The 45,000-square foot building — home to Maryland men’s and women’s basketball — boasts a dedicated strength and conditioning room, dual custom locker rooms, team suites and sports medicine spaces.
“It’s first class in every way,” Frese said. “When your players are spending so much time on their craft, you have to be able to have the resources and facilities to go behind it.”
A new tunnel also connects the new performance center with Xfinity Center, Maryland’s 17,950-seat arena, and the facility walls are lined with history — from Terps’ retired numbers to professional draft picks.
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The facility first broke ground in June 2023 before officially opening this fall in advance of the 2025-26 season. A two year construction window saw the installation of 1,400 metal panels, more than 300 tons of structural steel and 20,000 cubic yards of excavated dirt.
The Terps were formerly the only Big Ten program without a standalone basketball facility. The programs split time on Xfinity Center’s courts with the volleyball and wrestling programs.
But the program continued to attract talent while working with limited space. Women’s basketball guard Saylor Poffenbarger transferred to Maryland in 2024, leaving behind a school that already housed a designated practice facility. The new center represents the respect and support the university has for its athletes, Poffenbarger shared.
“It shows that they’re all in for our program and they’re all in for our success,” Poffenbarger said.
Maryland basketball’s new home will be a standout space to attract recruits. While the heart of the program speaks for itself, the facility can host more official and unofficial visits — something Frese has done.
The Terps, now headed by first-year coach Buzz Williams, welcomed in a flurry of additions this offseason.
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Kansas transfer David Coit emphasized the importance of having a dedicated performance center. Despite current pressures around revenue sharing and name, image and likeness, program culture and facilities still take precedence, the graduate guard said.
“Money is not a thing that’s discussed … It’s also not valued as much as people think,” Coit said. “We’re in a new space. We’re in a new environment. We know everything is brand new, so we got to make sure we attack it … with a lot of gratitude.”
Maryland men’s and women’s basketball reeled off dominant 27 and 25-win seasons last year, respectively, along with Sweet Sixteen appearances.
Now entering the new season with revamped rosters and a myriad of new facility resources, the two Terps basketball programs look for sustained success — complimented by a new environment that echoes the legacy of the past.
“We get to use [the new facility] every day, but if it wasn’t for the teams and the culture before us, we wouldn’t probably have something as great as this,” Poffenbarger said.
