You live and breathe red, black and gold. And University of Maryland basketball gives you the chance to let your Terp flag fly. But you struggle to force yourself to the game knowing that you’ll circle garages near the XFINITY Center for hours looking for a parking spot. Don’t find yourself in a game of car Tetris. Maryland basketball parking can be rough but we did the hard work for you to get you to the stadium ASAP. Grab your Terp apparel and face paint — ‘tis the season to win. And always fear the turtle.
Check out 10 best tips for Maryland basketball parking and best ways to see the Terps.
1. Use Off Campus Parking
Avoid packed parking lots and hefty parking fees. Off Campus Parking (OCP) has lots right near the Xfinity stadium for Maryland basketball parking at reasonable prices. Sam Medile, a University of Maryland alumni started OCP because he understands how hard it can be to find a great spot for game day. Any time you, friends or family need to park, check out OCP. Reserve a parking spot with easy AF technology. Just choose a spot at the lot you want through SpotHero. Come early and park at the Big Flat Lot behind The Hotel and enjoy some Potomac Pizza. Just pay the meter and walk accross to the Xfinity Center.
2. Park at Pontiac Street and Baltimore Avenue
Are you an alum or a student without a parking permit? With Off Campus Parking, park at 8320 Baltimore Ave next to The View, have a drink at Looney’s and take the short walk over the bridge to the XFINITY Center. It’s the best and easiest way to avoid the traffic on campus. If you choose to leave your precious car there, you’ll spend anywhere from $6 – $20 LESS from what UMD would want you to pay. That leaves more cash in your pocket for gametime nachos and a Terps gear.
3. Park at Baltimore Avenue and Campus Drive
Sometimes in order to save that cash money, you must compromise. Park through OCP at the Baltimore Ave and Campus Drive lot, just an 18-minute walk from the game. No biggie, you walk that distance to get to class, right? A couple extra minutes won’t hurt, especially for only $6 to park. “Most of the people who drive are alumni/fans who don’t go to school there,” said UMD junior Will Fallon. Check out this super cheap parking so that not only perking permit holders find make it to the game before tipoff.
4. Park and Bus at Knox Road
Didn’t like the fact that you had to walk? If you park at the lot on Knox— which seems really far away from the game— you can easily grab a bus. For $5 you can avoid gridlock, find a nice space and walk a couple of minutes to the bus pickup near the Smith Business School. That way, you won’t walk in the cold for so long that you lose sensation in your fingertips. Check out OCP’s website for more Maryland basketball parking spots not just in College Park but other areas downtown and off-campus.
5. Get Your Steps In
Exercise and save money. Walk to the XFINITY Center like most students. “Generally, I’ll walk to the games. It’s only about a five- to ten-minute walk so it is pretty convenient and easy,” said University of Maryland sophomore Nicole Needelman. Whether you just finished studying at McKeldin or you grabbed some last-minute snacks from the diner, you can make it to the game before the wave.
6. Grab a Bus with Your Friends
Basketball season really takes off in the winter. But no one wants to get caught in a snowstorm. “Sometimes I take the bus – depends what my friends do… People like the bus because they’re lazy and don’t want to walk,” said UMD sophomore Josh Shcherbelis. By taking the QuickBus option from several locations, you’ll arrive to the game on time and avoid that icy wind chill. If you live near any of the five pick-up spots, you’re in luck. The spots are usually near parking lots but you can still hop on with your fellow Terp alumni and classmates. Some locations include: outside the Maryland Stadium, by Hornbake Library (or RDG parking garage) and the MV lot near Smith Business School.
7. Plug in Your Location for Uber or Lyft
Living off campus sounds like a dream when it means you get your own bedroom and bathroom—until you want to do literally anything on campus. No matter where you go, Uber and Lyft you can drive to your destination. If you don’t own a car, catch a quick ride to the stadium by yourself or with friends for a couple bucks. The more people you ride with, the less you need to shell out.
8. Travel Two-Wheel Style
Bikes never go out of style. Your parents may not give you the spare car for college, but you can definitely snag the bike. Bikers don’t rush to class or get winded from walking like every other student— they one-up us. By taking your bike, you cut your 15-minute walk to the XFINITY Stadium in half. Plus you don’t need to squish into a packed bus with dozens of other freshmen giddy for their first UMD basketball game. Biking to the game is a win-win: you get to save the environment and ditch the crowds of cars sitting in traffic after the final buzzer sounds.
9. Carpool with Your Car-Owning Buddy
That one friend who owns a car takes you grocery shopping, to doctor’s appointments and even home to the holidays sometimes. Ask that friend to carpool you to the game, too. Let your friend take care of finding Maryland basketball parking but go in halfsies for those lot fees. However, drivers beware: Parking at XFINITY becomes near to impossible because of UMD’s strict alumni perks and crowds of game-goers. “Parking lots are turned into only parking for the game… there’s a lot of parking by the arena but that turns into basketball parking on game days so you need to pay more. There’s more parking that is free but farther from the stadium,” said UMD senior Patrick Hanley.
10. Go to the Game in Spirit
You don’t need to go to a game in person to show your Terp pride. Everyone fears the turtle. With schoolwork piling up, you might miss tipoff at the basketball game. Watch it on TV or with XFINITY Campus streaming and you won’t miss a single slam-dunk or steal. Sure, streaming doesn’t equal the in-person experience but you still show your pride. Or you can FaceTime a friend at the game to reach extreme Terp commitment.
