Lights, Action, Recruit
June 30th, 2008 - byWant a chance to really look inside a major Division I football team? The University of Maryland made the decision in January 2007 to open up their program to a reality television series, Terrapins Rising. Now almost a year and a half later they feel they have accomplished what they set out to do: Showcase the dedication of what it takes to be a Terrapin and develop a unique recruiting tool.
The Series had its Season 2 premier on June 17th and The Baltimore Sun took an inside look at the show and its impact on the program.
The caution in this is that it should try to be as authentic as possible, because to turn it into manufactured, Survivor-like programming is something I think fans would smell out,” said Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. HBO has aired reality programs about the Ravens and other NFL franchises on the premium cable network but hasn’t focused on college teams.Maryland retains editorial control of the show. But Jess Atkinson, the former Terrapins and Washington Redskins kicker who coordinates filming and editing, says: “We’ve gotten to the point where they don’t say ‘Take this out’ or ‘Take that out.’ I have no desire to do infomercials. Last year, [quarterback] Jeremy Ricker quit the team, and they let me do that story.”
Friedgen told several hundred spectators at a special screening recently in Silver Spring that he considered the show an asset. “What we’re doing here is really cutting edge. It sells our players,” he said.
Terrapins Rising covers winter workouts and spring camp, but not the season. Maryland decided that the back story - the preparation and team bonding - would be more compelling and logistically easier to film than the season.
