The 2013-2014 season will be Maryland’s last as a member of the ACC, and as a way to pay homage to their history in the conference, the Terps will be holding their Midnight Madness celebration in Cole Field House, the arena that Maryland called home from 1955-2002.
“Cole Field House represented many of the most iconic and memorable moments in Maryland basketball program history,” Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement. “Cole was host to multiple hall of fame coaches and countless All-Americans that helped make Maryland basketball what it is today. It will be a special evening for our fans, students, alumni and our university as we reconnect with the historic past of Cole Field House and Maryland basketball.”
Cole Field House had one of the best home court environments in the country when Maryland played there. Six times, the Terps upset the No. 1 team in the country in Cole. The last time came in February of 2002, when the Terps knocked off Duke in the Blue Devil’s final visit. It was a game made famous by this play:
Maryland moved to the Comcast Center the following season, but it was a move that came with mixed emotions. Cole Field House is small and cramped, which made it loud and hot and a nightmare for visiting teams given the ruthless vulgarity of the Maryland student section.
The Midnight Madness event will take place on Friday, October 18th, at 5:30 p.m.