Oct. 11, 2006

Oct. 11, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland Madness takes over Comcast Center on Friday night (October 13) with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The popular event is free to the public. The introduction of both teams, along with their first public sessions takes place during the festivities.

Maryland Madness will be produced in high-definition available on Comcast SportsNet HDTV. Comcast SportsNet's Joe Beninati, Glenn Consor and Sage Steele will be on hand to give viewers a breakdown of the evening's activities, interviews with current and former players and a look ahead to what fans can expect from this season's Terrapins. The live show will also reair at 1:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14.

The event will be webcast live and free of charge on Maryland All-Access at www.umterps.com.

Among the activities planned for this year's Maryland Madness are games, giveaways, and activities for fans and students, including a student slam-dunk contest. Maryland cheerleaders and dance teams perform in addition to the annual high-flying exhibition by the Maryland Gymkana Troupe. The annual alumni game will open at 8:00 p.m.

Following various performances, the women's basketball team will be introduced at 9:35 p.m. The 2006 national champions will take the floor for player introductions, a team scrimmage, and public comments from coach Brenda Frese. The Terrapins boast eight returners from last year's championship squad, including all five starters.

The men's team will be introduced at 10:05 p.m. with head coach Gary Williams addressing the crowd at 10:20 p.m., prior to the intrasquad scrimmage. The Terps are stocked with experience, boasting eight returning lettermen and six seniors for 2006-07. "Maryland Madness is always one of the highlights for this team," said Williams. "We're going to give fans a great show."

"Maryland Madness is the perfect event to launch the basketball season," added Frese. "This will be the first public appearance of our entire defending National Championship team, so I'm looking forward to another great moment."

Tickets for Maryland Madness are free, but must be reserved by calling the Terrapin Ticket Office at 1-800-IM-A-TERP. They may be picked up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily. Free Maryland Madness T-shirts will be given to the first 5,000 students in attendance.

Coach Frese will also be available from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to sign copies of "Overtime is Our Time - The Inside Story of the Maryland Terps' 2006 National Championship." The book outlines the Terps' steady rise over three years that culminated in the program's first NCAA title.

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be sponsoring a canned food drive as part of the event. Fans are encouraged to donate items to the Capital Area Food Bank. Drop locations will be situated inside the Comcast Center entrances, manned by members of Maryland's S.A.A.C.