Terps to hold Midnight Mile run to honor Lefty Driesell
As a way to honor Lefty Driesell for his recent induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well as Maryland’s 100th men’s basketball season, the Terps will hold a “Midnight Mile” on Oct. 16.
The event, which will be held at the Kehoe Track & Field Complex, comes 47 years after the Terps took to the track inside what is now Maryland Stadium at midnight in order to be the first team in the nation to get ready for the upcoming season.
Two years later, the mile run evolved into a full-fledged practice inside Cole Field House and eventually into what became known as Midnight Madness. It was adopted by most teams across the country and has been nationally televised.
“It is a thrill to host this run as a tribute to Lefty’s induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame and to kick off our program’s 100th season," Terps coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement.
The event is open to the public and the gates to the track and field complex — named after Jim Kehoe, the athletic director who hired Driesell in 1969 — will open at 11:30 p.m. Oct. 15.
Players will be available to sign autographs and take selfies before the start of the run. Refreshments will be made available and a raffle will be held.
A limited number of members of The Pride, the official student support group for Maryland athletics, will join the team for its run. Members of The Pride who are interested in running with the team need to register before the event.
In his Hall of Fame induction speech earlier this month in Springfield, Mass., Driesell made mention of the start of Midnight Madness in 1971, and gave credit to Mo Howard, who reportedly told his coach the Terps should hold a practice at midnight.
"Lefty was an innovator in the game of Former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 7. He is credited with starting Midnight Madness. basketball, and Midnight Madness was one of the many ways he helped make Maryland a special program,” Turgeon said. “I am excited that our guys will have the opportunity to interact with their classmates and be a part of such a unique event.
“Our students play such an important role in our success at home, and we wanted to do something to show how much we appreciate their support. I’m looking forward to sharing this night with them and our fans.”
Maryland held Midnight Madness until the early 2000s when university officials became concerned it presented a safety problem for students. In its place, the men’s and women's teams have held Maryland Madness.
This year’s Maryland Madness Fan Fest will be held Oct. 26 at Xfinity Center beginning at 8 p.m.