--- title: "What You Need to Know in Fall 2023: Athletics and Recreation" date: 2023-08-31T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-in-fall-2023-athletics-and-recreation" section: Articles --- # What You Need to Know in Fall 2023: Athletics and Recreation *August 31, 2023* — by [Annie Krakower](/author/annie-krakower) > How to Get in the Game, Get Fit and Get Excited About Terp Sports *Football 09172022 JC 0877 1920x1080 — Students can claim tickets to attend home football games, with the team opening the season vs. Towson on Saturday. Terps can also get in the game through club and intramural sports (below) and other RecWell offerings.* From the football team coming off its second straight bowl victory to field hockey opening the season with a national No. 3 ranking to both basketball squads looking to build on NCAA Tournament appearances, there’s plenty of hype surrounding Maryland Athletics this year. And outside the stadiums, Terps of all experience levels can still get their on-field or fitness fixes through a slew of offerings from University Recreation and Wellness—whether that’s with a friendly four-on-four volleyball match, a badminton battle or a power yoga class. Here’s how you can take in the action and get active this fall and beyond: **Varsity Athletics** If you’re not one of UMD’s 500-plus student-athletes, fear not! Students, faculty and staff can delve into Fear-the-Turtle fun by showing up at any Terps game free of charge with their university ID, with the exception of football and men’s basketball events. [Students](https://umterps.com/documents/2023/7/21/Student_FAQ_-_2023.pdf)can also attend those for free—the cost is covered under each semester’s activities fee—but they need to claim football and men’s basketball tickets in advance. Previously, that meant creating a student ticket account with a separate personal identification number. But now, through a simpler process put into play midway through last season, they can just use their regular UMD login credentials, said Jordan Looby, associate athletic director of marketing strategy and fan experience. Claim periods open for [football](https://umterps.com/documents/2023/7/21/FB_Student_Distribution_Schedule_2023.pdf)at 8 a.m. three Tuesdays before each game and close at 8 a.m. the following Thursday or until inventory is exhausted, while basketball claim periods are more irregular. ([Claim periods are open now](https://umterps.evenue.net/signin?uf=ST&ui=SHO&continue=%2Fcgi-bin%2Fncommerce3%2FSEGetGroupList%3FlinkID%3Dumd%26groupCode%3D%26RSRC%3D%26RDAT%3D%26shopperContext%3DST) for the first three home football games.) If requests exceed supply, then a loyalty-based [lottery system](https://umterps.com/documents/2023/7/21/2023-2024_Student_Ticket_Policy.pdf) goes into effect; students earn more entries based on their previous attendance record for that sport that year. Meanwhile, faculty and staff can take advantage of a 20% discount on season tickets for football (resulting in a $296 price for the lower level; $99 upper-level tickets are available to all fans) and men’s basketball ($600 lower level, $440 upper level). In addition, through its partnership with SECU, Athletics is offering all faculty and staff up to two free tickets for the football games vs. Towson (Saturday) and Charlotte (Sept. 9), with discounts available for additional tickets. A similar deal is on tap for basketball season, Looby said. For women’s basketball, employees get free general admission with the option to purchase reserved seats. Fall sports are also offering faculty and staff appreciation games throughout the season with free or discounted admission for guests, and select employees can immerse themselves in the full game-day experience through Athletics’ “[guest coaching](https://today.umd.edu/new-faces-in-the-huddle)” program. For all fans, a few updates this season are worth cheering over: The new Field Hockey and Women’s Lacrosse Complex opens this fall, complete with updated locker rooms, sports medicine equipment and a relocated entrance to ease access to seating areas. And to the delight of UMD sports history buffs, the classic “Script Terps” football uniforms are back full-time, with the team set to sport a new [black version](https://umterps.com/sports/2023/4/6/script-terps-is-back.aspx) during the Friday night game vs. Virginia on Sept. 15. “Some of the years that we wore those uniforms are our most successful years ever as a program,” Looby said, noting how fans are abuzz about similar possibilities this season. *students play co-ed soccer* **Sidebar note:** **What You Need to Know** All week in Maryland Today, we’ll feature important information for the campus community this semester on the following topics: - Monday: [Dining](https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-in-fall-2023-dining-services) - Tuesday: [Transportation](https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-in-fall-2023-getting-around-campus) - Wednesday: [New Facilities](https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-for-fall-2023-facilities) - Thursday: Athletics - Friday: [Mental Health](https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-for-fall-23-mental-health) **Topics:** [Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/tags/athletics), [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Tags:** [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience) **Units:** [Department of Intercollegiate Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-intercollegiate-athletics), [University Recreation and Wellness](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-recreation-and-wellness)