Maryland, Connecticut Agree to Three-Year Deal
8/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Brenda Frese and the Maryland women's basketball team recently agreed with Connecticut for the teams to meet in each of the next three seasons. The first matchup of the arrangement will be this December in the 10th annual Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Terrapins and the Huskies will tip off in the Maggie Dixon Classic on Monday, Dec. 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Connecticut will come to College Park in the 2016-17 season, with Maryland returning the trip the following season.
"There's a lot to like about this series for us,” Frese said. “It's a terrific challenge for our team and will demand that we're razor-sharp. We want to be on our game's biggest stage and this is a chance to perform on Broadway. New York is a huge area for Maryland fans. We've been wanting to play a game in the city for some time. We always try to schedule games that take our players back home so their family and friends can see them. This does that for our freshmen Brianna Fraser and Kiah Gillespie.
“On a personal level, I know our athletic director Kevin Anderson had the privilege to work with Maggie Dixon, so this opportunity to honor her legacy has a special connection for our entire athletic department.”
The Maggie Dixon Classic is held annually in memory of the former Army Black Knights women's basketball coach. On April 6, 2006, 29-year-old Maggie Dixon died from an undiagnosed heart condition. Over the course of her six months as head coach at the United States Military Academy she led the program to unprecedented heights; the Black Knights played in their first Patriot League Championship and Dixon led her team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
“I had the pleasure and privilege to be a part of a magical season with Maggie Dixon during my time at West Point,” director of athletics Kevin Anderson said. “She became the first head coach at Army to lead a men's or women's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament. Maggie was an extraordinary coach and person. It is special to celebrate her legacy with this tournament.”
Maryland and Connecticut have met in each of the last three seasons. Most recently, the teams met in the NCAA Final Four in Tampa, Fla. this past April.
The Terrapins' full schedule will be available on umterps.com at a later date.
For ticket information for the 2015-16 season, log on to the Terrapin Ticket Office online umterps.com or call 1-800-IM-A-TERP.
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