Maryland Terrapins History

With 20 varsity teams, more than a century of top-tier athletic competition and a spot in the one of the elite conferences in the country, the Big 10, the Maryland Terrapins always seem to be in the middle of one amazing sporting event or another. Though the Terrapins are well known for their football and basketball teams, they also have plenty of other top programs as well, including baseball, soccer, lacrosse and plenty of others. After many years in the ACC, the Terrapins now make the move to the Big 10, which just means a whole new set of teams to develop rivalries against as they look to make some serious noise in their new conference.

With an old and respected athletic program and one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Terrapins continue to bring together thousands of passionate fans for highly anticipated contests each and every season. Officially established all the way back in 1856, the Terrapins athletic program sprung up not long after, with baseball and football both reportedly being played on campus as early as the Civil War. These days, the traditions of yesterday and the excellence of a modern powerhouse athletic program come together every time the Terps take to the field or court, giving you plenty of incentive to head out and make sure you don't miss a second of the action.

University of Maryland University Info

Over the years, Maryland has become one of the major staples of the Baltimore, Maryland area, which isn't something likely to change anytime in the near future. With more than a century of development, Maryland has built an incredible reputation both in the classroom and on the sports field. Alumni like Larry David, Jim Henson, David Simon and many more have studied at Maryland before a major mark on their respective fields.

But many of the most well-known alumni still come from the basketball and football programs. Great players like Bob Ward, Bob Pellegrini, Stan Jones and many more have dominated on the gridiron for the Terrapins. For hoops, they've also had their fair share of big players and coaches, including Juan Dixon, Steve Francis, Joe Smith, Albert Morris and many more. More than ever, this is just one of those teams that you always have to keep your eye on, mainly because you probably know them from the higher seeds in your yearly NCAA Tournament brackets. When the Terrapins take to the court or the gridiron, you can count on there being an unbelievable atmosphere backing up them up on a regular basis.

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is just one of those unbelievable cities that as a little bit of everything, as there's a great concert and theater scene in addition to some great sports franchises that always are in the middle of one amazing matchup or another. The Orioles of Major League Baseball routinely pack the stands as well and everyone knows about the Ravens, a team that has built a very strong fan base in the region for a reason. Then there's the University of Maryland, a major hub of the Baltimore area and a staple of the sports scene.

Baltimore has much more than great sports, however. It's the home of Thurgood Marshall and Al Kaline. Of Omar Little and Jim McNulty. Of any type of music that you can find anywhere, as this is a city that is known for being as interesting a melting pot as you'll find anywhere. With a beautiful waterfront, plenty of history and tradition and so many live entertainment options to name without attempting to write the next great American novel, Baltimore is one of the seminal cities of the U.S. for a reason.

Maryland Terrapins Trivia

Did you know that John Lucas and Joe Smith are the only two Terrapins who have been selected as the first overall pick in the NBA draft?

Drafted in 1976, Lucas was the first Terp to go number one overall and he remained that way until Joe Smith did the same thing in 1995, when he was selected by the Golden State Warriors.

Maryland Terrapins Fan Experience

When the game is on the line and the Terrapins are digging in, no matter the sporting event, you'll be participating in a tradition that goes back more than a century, and you'll see why Maryland sports are as good as it gets if you're into college athletics. At Byrd Stadium in Maryland, it's always a great atmosphere for a football game, though Comcast Center is also a great backdrop for the biggest hoops games of the season for the Terrapins, and you'll see loud and clear why the college basketball experience is known to get taken to a completely different level when you get a chance to see it for yourself. As they take on all the top teams in the Big 10 and look to make their mark on a new conference, it doesn't get any better than this.