---
title: "As SECU Stadium Turns 75, Look Back at Its First Football Game"
date: 2025-09-30T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/as-secu-stadium-turns-75-look-back-at-its-first-football-game"
section: Articles
---
# As SECU Stadium Turns 75, Look Back at Its First Football Game

*September 30, 2025* — by [Anne S.K. Turkos](/author/anne-s-k-turkos)


> Archivist Emerita Recalls Pomp, Famous Players and a Prank

*Byrd Stadium People Hero 09301950 1920x1080 1 — University of Maryland fans wore their finest to the new football stadium to cheer on the Terps vs. the Naval Academy Midshipmen on Sept. 30, 1950. (Photos courtesy of University Archives)*

The inaugural matchup at the University of Maryland’s new football stadium on Sept. 30, 1950, pitted the Terps against the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen. But the local rival that made the bigger mark that afternoon was likely Georgetown.


*football game ticket: Navy vs. Maryland. Saturday, September 30, 1950. Kick-off 2:00 p.m.*



*quarterback Jack Scarbath scores touchdown*




Legendary quarterback Jack Scarbath (above) scored the [first touchdown](https://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/2018) on a 21-yard run, and the Terps never relinquished the lead en route to a 35-21 victory. The 43 Terps who played in the game included future All-Americans Bob Ward and Ed and Dick Modzelewski. Head Coach Jim Tatum called the team’s performance “most gratifying.”

The [1950 football media guide](https://archive.org/details/universityofmary1950univ/mode/2up) and [1951 *Terrapin* yearbook](https://archive.org/details/terrapinyearbook1951univ/page/280/mode/2up?q=stadium&view=theater) touted several facts about the stadium’s construction:


*aerial view of football stadium*



*exterior of original Byrd Stadium*




Since its opening, the current stadium has hosted national championship football and lacrosse teams as well as more than 50 Atlantic Coast Conference track and field champions.

Art Attack concerts and commencement ceremonies have taken place there, along with the old [Byrd Beach day](https://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/20182), when the Athletic Department opened the stadium for sunbathing in the spring. But perhaps the most famous event in the stadium is known as the [Queen’s Game](https://exhibitions.lib.umd.edu/the-queens-game), when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip joined the crowd to watch the Terrapins trounce the North Carolina Tar Heels 21-7 on Oct. 19, 1957.



*Queen Elizabeth II in the football stands — The Queen’s Game*
*students sunbathe in swimsuits in football stadium stands — Byrd Beach day*




The stadium has seen many changes over the last 75 years, including expanded seating in the upper deck; state-of-the-art turf and on-field heat-reducing technology; the erection of Tyser Tower with its massive press box and suite and mezzanine seating; and the installation of enormous videoboards and top-of-the-line LED lighting.

Its name evolved as well, from Byrd Stadium to Maryland Stadium (2016) then to SECU Stadium (2022) in recognition of the university’s partnership with the largest state-chartered credit union.

The bones of the grande dame remain the same, however, and on any given autumn Saturday, one can still imagine the thrill that the crowd felt during that first game when Scarbath crossed the goal line all those years ago.

*Anne Turkos is university archivist emerita.*



*SECU stadium — (Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics)*




**Sidebar note:**

The UMD Archives holds a number of resources documenting the landmark event, including a [ticket](https://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/2112) to the game, a gameday [program](https://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/5600) and several [photos](https://digital.lib.umd.edu/searchnew?query=university+of+maryland+football+versus+navy+1950&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC).





**Topics:** [Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/tags/athletics)


**Tags:** [Football](https://today.umd.edu/topic/football), [History](https://today.umd.edu/topic/history)


**Units:** [University Libraries](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-libraries), [Department of Intercollegiate Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-intercollegiate-athletics)