Maryland men’s basketball has a built-in scheduling wrinkle for the 2026-27 season, and it all hinges on how the Terrapins finish in the Player’s Era Tournament.
Head coach Buzz Williams said Thursday during his preseason press conference that the Dec. 2 game against American University carries a conditional cancellation clause. That clause exists because Maryland is slated to play in the Player’s Era Tournament for a second straight year, starting with a Nov. 24 matchup against eighth-ranked Tennessee.
From there, Maryland will play either Iowa State or San Diego State on Nov. 26, then a third game on Nov. 27 with the opponent still to be determined. If the Terrapins advance to either the championship game or the third-place game on Nov. 28, the Dec. 2 meeting with American will be called off.
The contract, obtained through a FOIA request, says Maryland would still owe American the full $100,000 guarantee payment. Maryland also has to let American University know where things stand by noon on Nov. 28, 2026.
It’s a rare setup, but not a surprising one given the level of competition Maryland is packing into the opening stretch of its schedule. The Terps could face as many as three preseason top-20 teams in their first seven regular-season games.
That kind of early test is something Maryland has already been working through in preseason. The Terps beat Georgia Tech and then West Virginia in a pair of public exhibition games before heading to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech on Saturday.
“I think the quality of the competition that our staff scheduled,” Buzz Williams said.
If the Dec. 2 game does go forward, it would be the first time Maryland and American have met since Nov. 11, 2016, when Melo Trimble scored 22 points to help Maryland edge American, 62-56.
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