SECU Stadium Good Eats

When fans enter SECU Stadium tomorrow for the 2023 Maryland football season opener, they will be treated to a revamped assortment of concession options to enjoy throughout the game.

After cutting down on some of the food options and having to plan around making sure people weren’t overcrowded in certain areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland concessions have now returned to normal functioning—with some exciting additions to promote as well.

“We wanted to come up with some exciting new options for the season,” said Chuck Aldridge, Maryland’s Concessions General Manager. “Our staff tested several different items over the summer and we came up with some really exciting menu items that I think our fans are really going to enjoy.”

“I’m excited for all the new offerings,” Aldridge added. “Once our fans try them, I’m sure they’ll be excited too.”

To debut some of the new options, concessions hosted a taste-testing event with various members of Maryland’s athletic department and four football players (redshirt sophomore running back Roman Hemby, redshirt junior offensive lineman DJ Glaze, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Kyle Long and redshirt junior defensive lineman Issac Bunyun).

The four players were able to sample all of the new foods while their reactions were recorded.

“It was very fun,” Long said of the taste-testing experience. “I liked pretty much all the new foods. I’m happy they let us come in and try some.”

“We don’t really ever eat the concessions, but it’s nice to know what’s out there,” Long added. “It’s nice to know what our fans are having and that they’re having a good time while they’re at our games watching us play.”

The guys all left with rave reviews.

“They provided some great feedback on the food and everyone was just nodding their heads in amazement while sampling everything,” Aldridge recalled. 

The new foods are equally as diverse as they are tasty. The fried pickles and fish & chips were a hit among the masses at the taste-testing. Additionally, concessions introduced hot dogs topped with mac & cheese with bacon as well as pork barbeque nachos and fries.

“We’ve done some of these menu items for a long time but wanted to create new featured items to include nachos or fries topped with your choice of crab dip or pork BBQ with shredded cheese,” Aldridge said.

Of course, the fan-favorite Chessie Crab Pretzel, a game day snack that Aldridge has seen specifically requested by TV broadcasters and university athletic directors and presidents over the years, is back for another season. The Chessie Crab Pretzels are sold behind section 20. The Little Chessie, a smaller version of the Chessie Pretzel, is available behind section 16 and 205 .

And of the double-digit foods that Long sampled a few weeks ago, it was the Chessie pretzel that stood out the most to him.

“That’s the first time I ever had something like that and it was really good,” he said. “It’s very Maryland which I think is cool.” 

And while the food additions have drawn tons of excitement already, they aren’t the only upgrades that are being made concerning concessions at SECU Stadium. Concessions have gone completely cashless with the exception of one point of sale at each of the three Ledo Pizza stands located behind sections 10, 20 and 205. Additionally, they have implemented QR codes at the stands that can be scanned to bring fans to a map that shows where different foods are being sold throughout the stadium.

“The type of concessions offered, the speed of service in which the food is delivered is very important to fans and to their gameday experience,” Aldridge said. “We want to keep enhancing the Maryland gameday experience and we believe these changes will help accomplish that.”

One thing that will remain the same? Concessions’ commitment to staffing non-profit organizations on game days. For several years, Aldridge and concessions have worked with different service groups, youth sports teams and high school groups, giving them opportunities to help them fundraise for respective causes. That will continue this season.

“These groups are trying to raise money to support the mission of their organization, whether it's disaster relief or a team raising funds for a trip for a tournament across the country,” Aldridge said. “It’s very cool for us to hear what they’re trying to do and it’s a great feeling knowing we helped a little bit with that journey. We are actively recruiting and we would love to help your organization.”

When the Terps run onto the field at SECU Stadium tomorrow to take on the Towson Tigers, they will do so in Script Terps uniforms, with a revamped lighting system around the stadium, and many new concession options. And that’s not even mentioning that this is a team with arguably the most preseason hype and media buzz about them in the Locksley era.

In short, this is the best time in recent memory to be a Terps fan. And you won’t want to miss out on being there in person for the season opener.