Maryland offers students the chance at free tuition for staying for most of the Terrapins' game vs. Illinois

Is the possibility of free tuition enough of an incentive to watch most of a Maryland football game?

That’s what’s on the table for Maryland students on Saturday as the Terrapins host Illinois. Any student who goes to the game and stays until at least the fourth quarter has a chance for the school to cover the cost of in-state tuition during the upcoming spring semester.

If you’re wondering why Maryland would go to these lengths to keep students at the game, well, just take a look at the Terps’ record. Maryland is 2-5 and 0-4 in the Big Ten. The Terrapins lost 37-30 to Rutgers in Week 7. Four days later, longtime head coach Mike Locksley was fired.

Locksley’s firing came just days after he made defensive staff changes and elevated Aazaar Abdul-Rahim to interim defensive coordinator. Now, Abdul-Rahim is Maryland’s interim coach. The Washington, D.C. native has been on Maryland’s staff since 2024 and was also with the team for three seasons from 2016 through 2018.

In eight-plus seasons at Maryland, Locksley’s teams went 39-54. The Terrapins had back-to-back 8-5 seasons in 2022 and 2023, but have won just 10 total games since the start of the 2024 season.