Terps Fill Open Grid Date With Sept. 28 Matchup Vs. Wofford
2/27/2002 7:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 27, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
University of Maryland has signed a contract to play Wofford in football this September, filling a void created when Troy State opted out of its contract with the Terrapins earlier this month. The addition of Wofford, which will visit Byrd Stadium Sept. 28, completes Maryland's 13-game regular season schedule. The Terps open the 2002 campaign with a Kickoff Classic matchup vs. Notre Dame.
"Replacing Troy State was challenging because of the timing of its cancellation," said Rob Mullens, Maryland's executive senior associate athletics director. "We had discussions with multiple institutions over the past few weeks, but only Wofford could meet the rather narrow criteria needed to make a deal, the most important of which was that our only option was to re-schedule for the original date. We did consider leaving the schedule as is after Troy State cancelled, but we are pleased to return a game to the Sept. 28th date since our schedule is now more appropriately balanced. Without a game on Sept. 28, we would have played just once in 25 days during the middle of our season."
Located in Spartanburg, S.C., Wofford will be facing an ACC opponent for the second consecutive year and a Division I-A opponent for the seventh time in five seasons. The Terriers played road games at Clemson and South Carolina last year. Wofford is a member of the Southern Conference, generally considered the premier I-AA football league in the country, and is coming off a 4-7 season. Two years ago, the Terriers finished the season ranked No. 23 nationally.
The defending ACC champion Terps, who return 15 starters and 43 letterwinners from last season's 10-2 squad, open their 2002 slate at the Meadowlands when they meet Notre Dame and first-year coach Tyrone Willingham in the final Kickoff Classic. The game, which will be played Saturday, Aug. 31 at Giants Stadium, is scheduled to be televised nationally on ABC. It will be the first grid meeting between Maryland and Notre Dame.
Maryland is also slated for a national cable television appearance on Thursday, Oct. 17, when the Terps play host to ACC rival Georgia Tech and first-year coach Chan Gailey in a game to be shown on ESPN.
Other ACC foes who will visit Byrd Stadium in 2002 include Florida State, NC State, and Wake Forest. Two non-conference opponents in addition to Wofford -- Akron and Eastern Michigan - will also face Maryland in College Park, giving the Terps a seven-game home schedule for the second consecutive season. The Terps' lone non-conference road game will be at West Virginia.
The Terps will be on the road for ACC matchups vs. Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, and Virginia.
In total, Maryland's 2002 schedule includes games against five teams that advanced to bowl games in 2001: Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State, Clemson and North Carolina.
The Aug. 31 opener vs. Notre Dame matches the earliest start in Terp history (also in 1996). The Nov. 30 game vs. Wake Forest is the latest regular season finale since 1965.
Season tickets can be ordered now through the Terrapin Ticket Office (1-800-462-TERP). Tickets are $182 for adults and $112 for children (18 and under). The Family Four-Pack, good for a family of four in the view level (sections 308-312) of Byrd Stadium, are priced at $308.
2002 Maryland Football Schedule Date Day Opponent Site Aug. 31 Sat Notre Dame (ABC) East Rutherford, N.J. Sept. 7 Sat Akron College Park, Md. Sept. 14 Sat Florida State* College Park, Md. Sept. 21 Sat Eastern Michigan College Park, Md. Sept. 28 Sat Wofford College Park, Md. Oct. 5 Sat at West Virginia Morgantown, W.Va. Oct. 12 Sat open Oct. 17 Thu Georgia Tech* (ESPN)College Park, Md. Oct. 26 Sat at Duke* Durham, N.C. Nov. 2 Sat at North Carolina* Chapel Hill, N.C. Nov. 9 Sat NC State* College Park, Md. Nov. 16 Sat at Clemson* Clemson, S.C. Nov. 23 Sat at Virginia* Charlottesville, Va. Nov. 30 Sat Wake Forest* College Park, Md. *indicates ACC game.
