By Deja Jones

As the football season slowly comes to a close, student attendance rates have declined. The Terps are currently 1-3 in conference play and 4-3 overall. The last three games have been nail-biters and blown leads as the Terps fell to the Washington Huskies, Nebraska Cornhuskers and UCLA Bruins. 

The Terps opened the season with a win against Florida Atlantic University, with a total attendance of 35,067. According to 247Sports, this is the least attended season opener since 2022. 

On Sept. 5, 2025, the Terps defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies in their most anticipated “Friday Night Lights” home game with a total attendance of 35,331, according to ESPN. The following weekend, the Terps defeated Towson with a recorded attendance rate of 12,000 students, according to 247Sports. 

The first conference home game was against the Washington Huskies, which was a sellout. The Terps blew a 20-point lead going into the third quarter. The Huskies scored 24 points, including three touchdowns, to secure the win. After this game, there was a decrease in student attendance. 

Freshman management major Ian Lee has attended all of the home football games. He planned to attend the homecoming game against Indiana on Nov. 1 and the last home game against Michigan on Nov. 22. He believes that student attendance has been decreasing due to the football team’s performance.

“Why would you want to watch our team choke a 20-point lead?” Lee said.

Although the team’s performance is a factor, it’s not the only reason why the attendance is dropping. Many students have busy schedules, including school, work, and internships. 

“Last year, our performance was worse, and more people were still showing up, and people are just busy,” Aspen King, a senior African American and Africana Studies major, said. 

King added she possibly won’t attend any more games due to her busy schedule. 

With the homecoming game against Indiana now behind them, some students reflected on attending the matchup. Deborah Mensah, a junior family science major, hasn’t attended a game this season but planned to go to the homecoming game.

“I’ll go to the homecoming game, but that’s it. But I’m only going because other people are going,” Mensah said. 

Students showing up helps the Terps remain positive during games. 

“They were really the foundation for the atmosphere, and it was great to see that many students,” head coach Michael Locksley said, according to 247Sports.

Following a 55-10 Homecoming loss to Indiana, the Terps will host Michigan before closing out home conference play.

Featured Image: Friday Night Lights game against Northern Illinois Huskies on Sept. 5, 2025. Photo by Deja Jones