The Maryland Terrapins might not have won a game recently, but one lucky student could walk away a big winner this weekend.
Maryland Athletics is offering students a chance to win free in-state base tuition for the spring semester, worth about $5,500, as part of an effort to increase student attendance at SECU Stadium.
To be eligible, students attending Saturday’s game against Illinois must scan a QR code and remain in the stadium until the fourth quarter. A winner will then be selected through a raffle.
Maryland Assistant Athletic Director of Fan Development and Event Marketing Rachel Palmer told Inside Higher Ed the goal was to create a major giveaway that would encourage students both to attend the game and stay for all four quarters.
There are some other incentives, too. The first 3,000 students will receive a free T-shirt, while students who wear Halloween costumes will have opportunities to win additional prizes.
The promotion comes one week after Maryland parted ways with head football coach Michael Locksley following a 2-and-5 start and five consecutive losses. They haven't won a game since Sept. 12
This isn’t the first time Maryland has used tuition-related incentives at football games. In 2018, the university awarded a total of $28,000 in scholarships to students who stayed until the fourth quarter.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
This story was originally published by Siobhan Garrett with the Scripps News Group station in Baltimore.
