On The Road: Big Ten Coalition Visits Maryland

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the University of Maryland Athletics hosted the Big Ten Conference office for its monthly Big Ten Equality Coalition “On the Road.” It was important for Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Damon Evans to host the conference during Black History Month due to the significance of being the only Power Five institution with a Black president, Black athletic director, and Black head football coach. 

Maryland Athletics welcomed Omar Brown, the Big Ten Senior Vice President of the Community & Impact office, with a full day of meetings to introduce himself, share the new and outgoing initiatives from the conference office and learn more about the day-to-day work the department does for the student-athlete experience. 

"Having leaders from the Big Ten's Community and Impact team visiting our campus and focusing on the importance of the Big Ten Equality Coalition was very powerful," said Evans. "The conference staff members were incredibly engaged with our student-athletes and our staff as we discussed critical topics. It was especially impactful for the visit to occur during February as we celebrate Black History Month."

During the visit, Brown had the opportunity to meet with the academics, student-athlete development and sports psychology departments to learn more about the overall student-athlete experience. He learned how the staff works diligently to assist student-athletes with their academic progress towards a degree and how that correlates with preparing them for a life after sport.  

“This visit was a great way to get the voices of various athletes from different sports at Maryland straight to the Big Ten,” Zoe Haung of the Maryland volleyball team said. “Omar was amazing and listened to all of our ideas and solutions that could help further Maryland and the Big Ten as a whole. From international exposure and growing the connection between schools within the conference, we discussed the entire aspect of being a student-athlete and how that experience could be improved.”

Director of Character and Leadership Development for Maryland football, Charles Harley, took Brown on a tour of Jones-Hill House to share the significance of the naming of the building and how it continues to help our football program excel. Jones-Hill House was named after Billy Jones & Darryl Hill, who were the first Black student-athletes to play in the ACC and at Maryland in football and men’s basketball respectively. Originally Cole Field House, the building played host to the 1966 NCAA National Championship, in which Texas Western, which featured a majority of African-American players defeated an all-white Adolph Rupp-coached Kentucky team.

While visiting with several student-athletes over lunch, Brown inquired about their pride for competing in the Big Ten Conference, how the conference can continue to support them, and what some of their biggest challenges are in the current climate of college athletics. 

“The importance and value of the Big Ten visit allowed us as student-athletes to have a platform to discuss potential solutions and actions that can be taken to address our concerns to better our university and our experience through the Big Ten,” said Cayden Onagi of the men’s lacrosse team.

The day ended with a meeting with Evans, the senior leadership team and the Big Ten Equality Coalition call across the conference. During the call, we focused on the “The Importance of HBCUs.” This was a fitting touch, as the University of Maryland is located within 50 miles of 4 HBCU institutions.

University of Maryland Athletics consolidated its commitment to diversity and inclusion by hosting the Big Ten Conference office for its monthly Big Ten Equality Coalition. The university exemplifies leadership and representation in collegiate sports. The visit from Brown and the Big Ten Conference provided a platform for meaningful dialogue, emphasizing the importance of its initiatives through the Big Ten Equality Coalition. Engaging in discussions and campus interactions highlighted Maryland Athletics' dedication to supporting student-athletes and their development. The University of Maryland continues to foster a community where diversity is celebrated.

“I definitely think it was extremely important and a blessing to have the opportunity to sit down with a Big Ten staff member. Especially someone like Mr. Omar who was very understanding and willing to get to know us, as well as talk about ways to improve all the areas that go into being a student-athlete,” Eli Mason of Maryland football. “I believe that having conversations like this are also significant for not only the future but to ensure that student-athletes and their respective conferences are working together to maximize every aspect of collegiate athletics and academics.”