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

Maryland tried to improve poor football attendance by offering students the chance to win free tuition if they stayed through the final whistle of its Halloween game against Illinois. The offer did not produce a large student crowd, drawing attention to the programme’s attendance problems during a difficult season.

Maryland had recently changed coaches and played competitively, but Illinois won 20–17. The sparse crowd at SECU Stadium became a focus of social media discussion. Maryland’s next game is away against Purdue, followed by a home match against Wisconsin.