Not even a chance at free tuition could get Maryland students in the seats for football Saturday

This week, Maryland announced plans to bolster poor football attendance by giving students who stayed until the final whistle a chance at free tuition.

Surely, some partial relief from student loans would put butts in seats for a Halloween matinee against the Illinois Illini, right?

Maybe kids aren’t into free stuff like they used to be, because it certainly didn’t.

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Maryland Terrapins running back DeJuan Williams stiff-arms Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Tanner Heckel. (Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)

It’s been a rough season for the Terrapins, who recently underwent a coaching change, and that’s certainly not going to have kids storming the gates at SECU Stadium.

Honestly, I thought the free tuition stunt was going to work wonders, but the crowd at kickoff made it clear that Maryland may need to go back to the drawing board.

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Well… it is Halloween. Maybe a thousand students dressed as metal bleachers, and what we’re looking at there is actually a packed house.

Probably not, though.

Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker James Kreutz celebrates during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. (Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)

It’s a shame to see the program struggling this much, even during a difficult season, because Maryland was competitive throughout. Illinois ultimately headed back to Champaign with a 20-17 victory.

However, all the talk on socials was about SECU Stadium dressing as a ghost town for Halloween.

Not good.

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The Terps hit the road next weekend to take on Purdue but will be back home the week after to host the No. 25 Wisconsin Badgers (well, until the new poll comes out on Sunday after their beatdown at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes).