Changing The Game: Maryland’s Newest Apparel Provider
Former Maryland lacrosse player Matt Back has reinvented the apparel game in College Park.
Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
9/2/2026
There are always new opportunities presenting themselves in College Park. This fall, one is already taking shape in the form of unique custom apparel provided by former Maryland lacrosse player Matt Back.
“It’s something I don’t take for granted,” Back said. “I’m going to work my butt off, and we’re always going to make sure our fans are taken care of. Go Terps!”
Custom hoodies, T-shirts, hats and more — featuring the brands fans love and the players they support — are now available to Maryland fans across campus and at home events.
“Matt brings an incredible level of passion and energy to everything he does, and that’s what makes this partnership with MBI, Inc. so exciting,” said Jordan Looby, Maryland Associate AD for Marketing & Revenue Strategy. “His love for Maryland as a former student-athlete, his experience in the apparel business and his commitment to creating unique products for our fans will transform the way we approach in-venue retail. We’re excited to bring our fans this elevated shopping experience when they come to a Maryland event.”
Back always knew this was the plan. He and his longtime friend Kevin Plank shared an early passion for merchandising, and Back previously worked for Champion. When his collegiate career ended with an NCAA Tournament loss during his senior season in 1994, Back was already getting to work in apparel the following Tuesday.
“Apparel’s always been in my blood and I love Maryland,” Back said. “I just love selling merch. Working with my alma mater is super important to me, especially with being associated with the Under Armour brand, Kevin Plank being a good friend of mine and endorsing us.”
No other group has access to official Under Armour licensed apparel or the same level of support from student-athletes as Back and his company, MBI Events.
I think we have a step up on the competition. We’re hyper local and we understand what the family wants. We’re not going to be buying from Chicago, we’re actually thinking about understanding the Maryland fan.Matt Back
Back and his group have sold apparel at Navy events for years and have merchandised several college bowl games and professional soccer teams. When he learned he could expand his business to support his alma mater, a new partnership was born.
“The opportunity to work with Maryland opened up last year and we aggressively went after it,” Back said. “I bleed red, so it was an easy decision.”
He’ll have a new-look custom shop on the concourse at SECU Stadium this fall. Custom shirts, hoodies, headwear and jerseys will be available, each with the option for player customization and giving fans even more ways to show their support.
Navigating the licensing process with individual student-athletes has presented challenges, but MBI Events landed Malik Washington’s endorsement. The hometown quarterback has already established himself as a staple in Maryland, and his partnership with MBI Events is a natural fit in College Park.
“Everyone calls NIL the Wild Wild West, and it’s a very real thing,” Back said. “You either have to understand and learn it, or you get left behind, and we haven’t gotten left behind.”
Back and his company will be at every football game this season, but their reach extends far beyond the gridiron. As a former Maryland lacrosse player himself, Back wants to make sure student-athletes across the university have the opportunity to see their names represented both on the field and in the stands.
“Those players work just as hard as a football player or a basketball player does,” Back said. “Why can’t their families be rewarded by actually grabbing some custom merchandise? It’s an easy buy for them and they get to support their student-athlete.”
One of Back’s Mobile Turtle Shell Unit vans will serve as a familiar sight at Maryland events, signaling that custom gear and new ways to support the Terps are waiting just inside the gates. Team-specific merchandise sales will be available at four-times as many Olympic Sporting events as last season.
For Back, the opportunity is about more than selling apparel. It’s about bringing his passion for merchandising back to the place where it all started and giving Maryland fans another way to wear their support for the Terps.
