Name, image and likeness money is a must to recruit and program build. And without it, operating a program in modern college sports is difficult.
In this story, Testudo Times took a look at how Maryland programs are compensating for the lack of NIL in non-revenue sports.
Non-revenue sports are teams that operate at a financial net loss and don’t have the independent stability to make a university money. This applies to 17 Maryland programs that aren’t football and men’s and women’s basketball.
A chunk of Maryland’s money comes from the Big Ten and NCAA distribution media rights deals, sponsorships, donors and $300 annual student fees for athletics. The operating budget of $129 million in Maryland’s athletic fund has allowed the school to keep its athletics afloat.
Maryland Athletics declined requests to comment on the topic of Olympic sports teams’ financial situations.
Baseball
Head coach Matt Swope’s base salary was a reported $262,000 in 2023 when he was first promoted, per the Diamondback. In 2025, Swope made $291,000, according to public payroll data from the university.
Baseball expenses sit at $2.52 million, with a revenue gain of $511,445. Due to the contrast of expenses to gain, baseball has a net loss of $2 million.
The program has utilized the Maryland baseball Home Run Club, a donation website portal where people can donate between $1 to over $5,000. Maryland Athletics Giving Day and Terrapin Club are alternate fundraising avenues used to support the team and other athletics.
In fiscal year 2026, the school raised $43.7 million and had over 10,000 donors. Donations grew by over 1,400 pledges from 2025.
On Sept. 22, the program announced a partnership with Marrucci for equipment.
In three years under Swope, Maryland baseball is 88-80 (31-53 in Big Ten). Swope is entering year four of a five-year deal, as his 2023 contract runs through the 2028 season. The Terps are 4-1-1 in their fall ball schedule. They swept Towson and won and tied a game against Georgetown. Against St. John’s, the Terps split a doubleheader.
The Terps will have a fall World Series on Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 at Bob ‘Turtle’ Smith Stadium. They will also play a game against Navy at home Nov. 8, before beginning their 2027 spring season at Ole Miss on Feb. 19.
Men’s lacrosse
Head coach John Tillman enters his 17th season coaching Maryland men’s lacrosse. He is 202-62 (56-20 in Big Ten) at the helm, with two national championships and 11 national semifinal appearances.
The program made a reported $971,787 in revenue, per College Factual. A total of $3.1 million was generated in expenses, meaning the program lost $2.2 million. Tillman made $621,000 in 2025. He is signed through the 2030 season, with his deal set to expire on June 30 of that year.
On the side of growing the program, construction began in June on a new lacrosse facility. The goal is to build a new locker room, nutrition station and team lounge at Gossett Hall. The building will have new office spaces and meeting rooms for coaches. The cost of the project has not been publicly disclosed.
In July, brothers Scott and Craig Hochstadt made a $1 million commitment to the facility. In June, longtime Maryland supporters Stuart Bowers and Mary Perry pledged an undisclosed seven-figure donation to several improvements, including the lacrosse project and the women’s field hockey team.
Aside from alumni donations toward the project, the athletic department is selling naming rights to spaces inside the new facility. These amounts will be used to fund construction, renovations and the program.
Naming space opportunities begin at $50,000 and are payable up to five years. Facility naming rights cost $1 million, a team suite is $750,000, the head coach’s office costs $250,000, and coaching staff spaces are $100,000 apiece.
Donor gifts of $5,000 or more receive a donor’s plaque.
As of Oct. 24, the players’ locker room and sports medicine area has been sold and named.
The team missed out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002. Its official 2027 schedule will be announced at a later date.
Women’s lacrosse
Cathy Reese has five national championships, 13 national semifinal appearances and 22 conference championships. She enters her 21st season with an overall record of 364-57 (99-17 in Big Ten).
Reese’s salary is estimated around $495,000 in 2024, per GovSalaries. The program operates with an annual team revenue of $500,000 to $600,000.
In 2025, women’s lacrosse brought in $585,532 in revenue according to College Factual. The program spent $2.1 million to cover expenses. That created a net loss of $1.5 million.
IT Cadre, a data engineering company, became the presenting partner of the team’s 2026 spring season. This helped the program offset some of the travel and program operating expenses.
The program also landed the No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class from Inside Lacrosse. Part of that is credited to the winning traditions, but key relationships formed amongst athletes also help. Eight freshmen will join the team, including attacker Cayden Reese, the daughter of Cathy Reese, who is the top-rated player in the class of 2026.
Defender Kit Laake — the third-highest rated 2026 player — played club on Hero’s Lacrosse’s 2026 Green team in Howard County with Reese and will also join the Terps.
The team has played a series of fall games against Georgetown, Loyola, Navy, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The 2027 spring schedule will be announced at a later date.
Men’s soccer
Head coach Sasha Cirovski earned $866,000 in 2025. In 33 years as Maryland’s coach, he has a record of 461-183-77 (140-79-39 in Big Ten). Cirovski has three national championships, 29 total postseason appearances and three big ten tournament championships. He is also a Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
Cirovski’s contract does not have a standard end date to it. However, his contract details feature a guaranteed 5% base increase — that’s not an incentive base. He and men’s lacrosse’s Tillman both hold that feature.
Men’s soccer brought in $542,896 but spent $2.8 million, according to College Factual. The program operates at a deficit of $2.3 million. The soccer program has the Men’s Soccer Fund Starting XI, where donations can be up to $10,000 dollars.
The university received a $18 million grant in April from the State Government of Maryland Stadium Authority. Budgeted in the fiscal year 2027, a percentage of the money will be put towards a new soccer stadium to replace Ludwig Field, which has been in use since 1995.
The proposed new complex will serve both the men’s and women’s teams and could accommodate around 8,800 fans. The state budget requires at least $40 million in private sector investments. Construction dates have not been finalized, as the project is still in the design process.
Men’s soccer’s season continues on Oct. 30 at No. 7 Washington.
Women’s soccer
Head coach Michael Marchiano is 11-23-5 (4-18-4 in Big Ten). His salary is undisclosed, but the soccer team made a revenue of $291,136 in 2025 according to College Factual. The annual expenses are $1.9 million.
That leaves the team with a net loss of $1.6 million. Similar to men’s soccer, the women’s team has the Women’s Soccer Fund. Donations and payment plans are provided monthly, quarterly and annually.
The program will also benefit from the new soccer complex that will be built in the future. Their season concludes on Oct. 30 against Rutgers.
Track and field
On the track and field side, head of cross country and associate head coach Danielle Siebert made $100,000 in 2025, per GovSalaries. Andrew Valmon, the program’s director of track and field, made $195,000.
The men’s team brought in $247,969 in revenue and spent $1.2 million, equaling a loss of $999,530, according to College Factual. The women’s team made $456,280 in revenue and spent $2.1 million. The program had a net loss of $1.7 million.
The program has a Track and Spike Shoe fund, similar to women’s soccer, where donations can come on a monthly payment plan.
Men’s track and field landed Bowie native and gold medal-winning Olympian Quincy Wilson. The sprinter is sponsored by New Balance, Hollister and Wonderful Pistachios. Having Wilson represent Maryland in his collegiate career will likely help the program grow with national coverage and overall attention.
Track and field will begin its season at the Navy Indoor Invitational on Dec. 6.