By Abigail Warwick
Maryland men’s basketball kept fans on the edge of their seats as they played the University of Illinois at the annual Gold Rush game on Dec. 2. Students and fans packed the Xfinity Center, cheering with high energy and only getting louder as the game went on.
The Terps led most of the match, but as the game continued into the end of the second half, Illinois began to close the gap. With about three minutes left, the teams were tied 62-62.
The final minutes of the game wavered with one to two point differences between the two teams. Eventually, Maryland beat Illinois 71-66 after Jahmir Young scored in the last 15 seconds.
The already loud arena was thundering when Young scored, and the players made their way towards the student section to greet fans and bring the energy up after the clock reached zero.
This year’s Gold Rush game had Maryland basketball’s highest student attendance ever, according to a tweet from Maryland Athletics.
The Gold Rush started in March 2010 when Maryland played against ACC rival Duke University. That year, Maryland ended their losing streak by beating Duke 79-72, and fans even stormed the court after the game.
With such a monumental victory while wearing an uncommon color, the Gold Rush became tradition, with fans likely seeing it as a good luck charm. Now, fans and students are encouraged to wear gold, and oftentimes are given free shirts to match the theme.
The first few years of the tradition were rough, with the Terps losing every year’s Gold Rush game starting in 2011 until they won against Wisconsin in 2015. Since then, there have been mostly wins for the Gold Rush.
“As Maryland fans, you tend to go towards the white, the black or the red because that’s what our team wears the most, so when we do the Gold Rush game and the team wears gold uniforms, it feels like a special opportunity,” said the Director of Marketing Strategy with Maryland athletics Rachel Palmer.
The team does not wear their gold uniforms very often, so the tradition is an unique opportunity for fans to wear the color.
“It’s an alternate light color jersey for them, but they wear it the least of all four options,” according to Palmer.
Most years, more highly anticipated opponents are selected for the game because of the energy associated with the annual match.
“I think a lot of times game day attendance can be very poor and I think it’s important that we come together to support our athletic teams,” Jenna Robinson, a sophomore elementary education major said before the game.
Students look forward to the game each year because of the expectation for great outcomes created by previous games. In the last seven years, the Terps have only lost one Gold Rush game: against Virginia Tech.
“Over the years it’s also resulted in really great games. A lot of our biggest moments we would say in Maryland basketball history have come in Gold Rush games,” Palmer added.
One moment from Gold Rush history seemed to mirror the final outcome of this year’s game. In 2019, Anthony Cowan, Jr. scored in the last few seconds of a Gold Rush game against Illinois, much like Young did this year.
“It’s a great way to bring together people from every year at UMD,” Mckenna Randall, a senior chemical engineering major said.
Featured Image: Maryland fans pack the student section for the Gold Rush game against Illinois on Dec. 2, 2022. Photo by Abigail Warwick.