Maryland Sets 2026 Family Weekend and Homecoming Dates
In this story:
The University of Maryland has chosen dates for 2026 Family Weekend and Homecoming, and both will feature a Big Ten conference game for the Terrapins football squad.
As has been the case every year since 2017, Family Weekend will take place first. This year, it's scheduled for September 25-27, with the Terps hosting UCLA on Saturday the 26th.
The game will be Maryland's Big Ten opener after starting the season with games vs. Hampton (FCS), at UConn, and vs. Virginia Tech.
The Terps are 1-2 all-time against the recent Big Ten addition. Last year, the Bruins scored 13 points in the final five minutes to rally for a 20-17 victory at the Rose Bowl.
The programs have met just once before in College Park: all the way back in 1955, when Maryland beat then-No. 1 UCLA 7-0.
Three weeks later, the Terrapins will host regional rival Rutgers as part of Homecoming. Maryland alums will be welcomed back to campus October 16-18, with the game once again right in the middle.
Maryland leads the all-time series 12-9 but has lost the last two matchups. It's a rare first-half meeting for the two squads, who haven't played each other in October since 2019.
Times for both games, and the rest of Maryland's 2026 schedule, will be announced later.
During Head Coach Mike Locksley's tenure, the Terrapins have gone 2-4 overall in Family Weekend contests, and 3-3 in Homecoming games. Their last Big Ten win at home was 2024's Homecoming game against USC.
Maryland is coming off a second straight 4-8 campaign, making 2026 a make-or-break season for Locksley and his staff.
The current roster retains 74 players from last season, including standout quarterback Malik Washington.
Additionally, Maryland brought in 12 players from the transfer portal to help offset the 16 they lost, as well as a freshman class of 18 that features five-star edge Zion Elee and four-star safety Darrell Carey.
The Terps also made several coaching changes, including hiring a new offensive coordinator in 34-year-old Clint Trickett and reuniting with former Maryland assistant Matt Barnes on special teams.
Spring camp gets underway Tuesday, March 24th, with practices every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for a five-week period.
The Terps' spring game has not been officially announced, but it is expected to be played on Saturday, April 25th.
More from Maryland On SI
Stay up to date with the Terrapins by bookmarking Maryland On SI and follow us on Twitter.
Mike joined Maryland On SI with over four years of sportswriting experience. He started off his career in Syracuse on the Orange football beat, where he was featured on CBS Sports' Cover 3 Podcast and local ESPN sports talk radio. After that, he had a brief stint reporting on Major League Baseball before returning to college sports.
Follow MOstrowski_