By Jack White

It’s been almost a month since the University of Maryland began to allow fans to cheer on their favorite teams in person again, and the change is sparking excitement among athletes.

Having the crowd back in the stands has only amplified and enhanced the game experience, said senior lacrosse player Alex Smith, a criminology and criminal justice double major.

“They bring so much energy and noise throughout the stadium, which really fuels our team — and above all, it’s just a great atmosphere to be a part of, and we’re really appreciative of it,” Smith said.  

Teams have longed for the energy, emotion and passion fans bring to sporting events. For 13 months, stadiums offered nothing but tinny automated whistles, boos and cheers.

Students are allowed to attend athletic events on a first-come, first-served basis by presenting their student IDs and obtaining a ticket at the venue’s box office on game day, according to Maryland Athletics. There are currently no public sales or student guest tickets available.

To ensure appropriate safety measures, each player, coach and staff member of a team is set to receive four tickets to each game for friends and family.

 “We really wanted to create an opportunity for our fans who have been clamoring for months and months now to come out in a safe environment, following physical distancing rules, following safety measures and everything that’s been approved by public health officials working with the campus and state,” said Jason Yellin, associate athletic director at UMD.

College athletes and team staff are tested daily for active coronavirus at the Xfinity Center. They also participate in daily antigen testing, which is required for partnership with the Big Ten conference.

Maryland baseball has played 25 games this season, 11 of which have been played at College Park. Fans didn’t begin trickling into Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium until the team’s second home series of the season on April 2 against the Northwestern Wildcats. 

The team currently sits at 13-12 in a fifth place tie in the Big Ten with Ohio State University. Throughout March, the terps had 15 games split into five series. Only four were played at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium in College Park without any fans in attendance.

“I think it really helps out. And we really haven’t played in a while,” said redshirt senior economics student and baseball pitcher Zach Thompson. “So, just to see them out there again after missing our season last year, it’s really exciting.” 

Ever since fans have returned to the ballpark, the terps have taken the Big Ten by storm and achieved a 6-1 record. 

“We love our fans here, and I think it brings our team a lot of energy seeing them up there in the stands,” Thompson said.

College athletes had to create their own energy in the dugout before fans returned, including chanting, stomping on buckets, singing or doing “the Wave” from one end of the dugout to the other.

Now players no longer have to be concerned with being the main source of energy in stadiums across campus.

“It’s great to have that support and the loud voices coming from the crowd,” said redshirt senior softball player Micaela Abbatine, a business student.

Spectators are more noticeable in a venue like Bob “Turtle” Smith stadium, which only holds 500 to 600 fans — unlike the 54,000 spectators that can pile into Capital One Field.

“In baseball, people say hitting is contagious, and at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium, the crowd can play a big part in that,”  said sophomore journalism student and avid Maryland baseball fan Shane Connuck. “And with fans making a slow return to stadiums, this is a great step in the right direction.” 

The Maryland Athletic Department administrators continue to collaborate with public health officials and are hopeful they will be able to allow a full capacity of fans in all College Park athletic venues by fall of 2021.   

“For the sake of all of our student athletes and supporters and all of our fans who love terps, we can’t wait to see them back here supporting Maryland at all of our different sporting events,” Yellin said.

Featured image: Players at Bob “Turtle” Smith stadium are energized by fans’ return to the stands. Photo by Jack White.