Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women’s basketball teams. The on-campus facility is named for Comcast, who purchased a 20-year, $25 million corporate naming agreement. Comcast Center replaced Cole Field House, which had served as the home of Maryland basketball since 1955. Ground was broken in May 2000 and construction was completed in October 2002 at a cost of $125 million. Comcast Center, which has a capacity of 17950, opened for Midnight Madness on October 11, 2002 and the first official men’s game was a 64-49 victory over Miami University of Ohio.

In addition to the main basketball court, Comcast Center also features a 1500-seat gymnasium for volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling; an academic support center; a 400-seat banquet hall; and the offices of the athletics department. Inside the lobby on the east side of the facility is the Terrapin Walk of Fame and History, featuring many images of the past of Maryland athletics as well as the 2002 men’s national championship trophy.

The student section contains 4000 seats arranged in the first ten rows on all sides of the arena, plus the most notable feature of the arena, the steeply pitched seating area at the west end of the arena behind the visiting team’s second half basket, informally known as “The Wall.” Originally designed to reduce excavation costs due to a hill, the area features 2600 student seats meant to intimidate opposing players who shoot free throws in the second half.

Notable Games at Comcast Center

January 18, 2003 The Terrapins defeat then undefeated #1 Duke, 87-72.

February 17, 2003 Due to a major snowstorm in College Park, the game against #10 Wake Forest previously scheduled for the previous evening was rescheduled for the next day. The athletic department invites as many students as wanted to come to attend the game and the Terrapins defeat the Demon Deacons 90-67.

February 22, 2004 The third largest crowd to watch an Atlantic Coast Conference women’s regular season basketball game, as well as the second largest crowd to watch a women’s game at Comcast Center (13346), watch #4 Duke defeat the Terrapins 72-59.

February 12, 2005 The Terrapins win their third consecutive game against #7 Duke and becomes the first team to sweep the regular season series from the Blue Devils since the 1995-1996 season. The 99-92 overtime thriller coincides with a visit from ESPN's College GameDay.

February 13, 2005 The 18th ranked women's team loses to #4 Duke 60-49 in front of the largest crowd to watch an Atlantic Coast Conference women's regular season basketball game (17243).

March 20-22, 2005 Comcast Center hosts first and second round games for the NCAA_Women's_Division_I_Basketball_Championship tournament. The 7 seed Terps used its home court advantage to defeat 10 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay before falling to 2 seed Ohio State. In the other pod, Liberty became only the second 13 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 by upsetting 4 seed Penn State and 5 seed DePaul.