One University of Maryland student is set to leave College Park with a major prize on Saturday: free tuition for the Spring 2027 Semester, provided they stay for the full game against Illinois.
The university said the giveaway is part of an effort to keep students in the stands through the fourth quarter. Rachel Palmer, the assistant athletic director for fan development and marketing at UMD, said the idea came together over the summer.
"The idea actually started over the summer, so a bunch of us got together to brainstorm ideas of how we can get students to stay until the fourth quarter of our football games," said Rachel Palmer, the assistant athletic director for fan development and marketing at UMD. "We've tried a lot of things over the years, raffling off premium giveaways, contests and ultimately landed on this idea of a tuition raffle."
To be eligible, students need to claim their student ticket and scan it at the gate. During the game, a QR code will appear on the videoboard for students to scan and enter. From there, five finalists will be randomly chosen and taken to the field in the fourth quarter, where one will win the tuition prize.
The award is valued at roughly up to $8,000, based on the cost of undergraduate in-state tuition, according to university officials. Maryland said it will honor that amount no matter the student’s residency status.
The raffle is tied to a loaded gameday atmosphere beyond the football itself. Palmer said it will be the program’s second annual Oktoberfest game, with German-inspired touches including hats for fans, Oktoberfest beer specials and souvenir cups. Since the matchup also lands on Halloween, Maryland is layering in another theme with trick-or-treating at the fan fest before the game and costume contests.
Students around campus sounded open to the extra motivation.
"You best believe I'll be staying at the game the whole time, hello, I want that free tuition," said UMD Freshman, Allison Reinhart. "(Our football team isn't) the best and we've had a rough few games and so I think they're really trying to pursue us to stay."
"I actually wasn't planning on going to the game, but I guess now I am," said Obi Mortanya, a freshman at UMD. "Well, we're not really that good so there's not a big reason to stay but I guess that's incentive."
Maryland enters the game 2-5 and hasn’t won since Sept. 12. Kickoff is set for noon on Saturday, October 31.
In Other News...
Wisconsin's 2027 RB Commit Is Facing A New Recruiting Test
Kingston Allen has become one of the more interesting names in Wisconsins 2027 class watch, not just because of his production on the high school level but because of how early the Badgers got in on him. The running back remains a tentative commit to Wisconsin, and he has already made a campus visit while Luke Fickell and his staff keep pressing their case.
The challenge now is obvious enough: Ohio State and Alabama have both jumped into the picture with offers, which is the kind of development that can change the tone of any recruitment quickly. For Wisconsin, the task is less about making a splash than about holding its ground with a player who already knows the program and still appears committed, even as the wider recruiting world keeps circling. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Gets A Huge Opening In Iowa Rivalry But One Problem Remains
Wisconsin gets a timely chance to reset a rivalry that has gone the wrong way for four straight meetings when it heads to Iowa this weekend. Both teams enter at 5-2, and the matchup looks every bit like the kind of defensive grind these programs tend to produce. The Badgers, built around one of the nations best run defenses, will try to use that strength to finally flip the recent trend.
Iowa, even after losing a key running back for the season, is still viewed as a slight favorite, which says plenty about the respect it carries at home and on defense. For Wisconsin, the opening is real, but so is the challenge: this is still a game likely to be decided by field position, toughness and which side can create just enough offense in a matchup where points may be hard to find. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin's O-Line Problem Just Got Worse Before Iowa
Wisconsins offensive line has already been a moving target this season, and the latest injury report only adds to the uncertainty heading into Iowa. The Badgers have used five different starting lineups in seven games, a sign of how often the front has been shuffled as the staff searches for the right combination and the right level of stability.
Barrett Nelson, a fifth-year senior who started at right guard in Week 8, is listed as doubtful along with running back Nate Palmer, leaving Wisconsin to sort through more lineup options if Nelson cannot go. Among the possibilities are bringing PJ Wilkins back into the mix or shifting backup center Ryan Cory into a different role, another reminder that the Badgers may be forced to improvise again up front at a difficult time. [Read more 🡒]