University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public university located in College Park, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. As the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland, the university is most often referred to as the University of Maryland or simply Maryland, even though the formal name remains University of Maryland, College Park.

Athletics

The school's sports teams are called the Terrapins (a type of turtle). The Terrapin mascot of the University (pictured at right) is named ?Testudo? (a Latin word for protective shell). The Terrapins sports teams participate in the NCAA's Division I-A, and the school is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The school has uses the same colors which appear on the Maryland State Flag: black, gold, red, and white.

Related Topics:
Turtle - Latin - NCAA - Atlantic Coast Conference - Maryland State Flag

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Since 2000, the university's athletics program has achieved national prominence.

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The football program won the national championship in 1953, but had achieved little success for many years until Ralph Friedgen, a Maryland graduate in the class of 1970, was hired as head coach in November 2000. Friedgen dramatically reversed the fortunes of Terrapin football in his first three seasons, leading the team to 31 wins, an appearance in the BCS Orange Bowl, commanding victories in the Peach Bowl and the Gator Bowl, consecutive top-3 finishes in conference, and the only outright ACC regular season title since Florida State's entry into the conference in 1992.

Related Topics:
Football - Ralph Friedgen - BCS - Orange Bowl - Peach Bowl - Gator Bowl - Florida State

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Men's basketball is the most popular sport at Maryland and is under the guidance of another Maryland graduate, Gary Williams of the class of 1968. Williams, who returned to his alma mater in 1989 after successful stints at other universities, inherited a program that was suffering the after-effects of the death of Len Bias as well as NCAA rules infractions under Williams' predecessor. After several years of competing under recruiting sanctions related to these events, Williams has elevated the Terp program to the level of conference foes Duke and North Carolina. Williams led Maryland to eleven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (1993-2004) and eight consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins (1996?2004). In addition, he has taken the Terps to the tournament's Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen) seven times, to the Final Four twice, and led the school to its first NCAA title in men's basketball in 2002. With one of the youngest teams in the nation, Williams led his team to his first ACC Tournament title in 2004.

Related Topics:
Basketball - Gary Williams - Alma mater - 1989 - Len Bias - NCAA - Duke - North Carolina - Final Four

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Beyond these primary revenue sports, Maryland excels in other areas as well. Women's basketball is in the midst of a resurgence under former Minnesota coach Brenda Frese, having advanced to the second round of the 2004 women's NCAA tournament. This was the first tournament win for the program in twelve years. Men's soccer has been to three Final Fours since 1998. The field hockey team has made a handful of Final Four appearances and won the 1999 national title. The volleyball team won the ACC tournament in 2003 and qualified for their own NCAA tournament. In lacrosse, Maryland has been a consistent national leader. The women's lacrosse team, under the direction of Cindy Timchal, has won seven national titles, been an NCAA finalist in eleven of the last fourteen years, and produced more All-American's in the sport than any other school. The men's program is always among the top 10 programs nationally.

Related Topics:
Soccer - Field hockey - Volleyball - Lacrosse - All-American

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Despite the Athletic Department's increase in winning seasons, the rowdy post-game behavior of its fans—which in recent years has resulted in destructive riots—has been a source of embarrassment for university alumni and city residents. The University has enacted several policies which have attempted to reduce the amount of rioting post-game, including automatic expulsions for those convicted by the police of crimes during riots.

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