Virginia Basketball Renewing Rivalry With Maryland, Schedules Four-Game Series

Matt Newton | Sep 11, 2024

Virginia and Maryland are renewing their historic men's basketball rivalry with a four-game home-and-home series starting in the 2025-2026 season. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Virginia and Maryland are renewing their historic men's basketball rivalry. The two schools announced a four-year home-and-home series that will start in the 2025-2026 season with the Cavaliers hosting the Terrapins at John Paul Jones Arena. UVA will host Maryland in Charlottesville in the 2025-2026 and 2027-2028 seasons with the return games being played in College Park in 2026-2027 and 2028-2029.

“We are excited to announce a four-year series with Maryland,” Tony Bennett said in a joint press release. “I greatly respect Coach [Kevin] Willard and what he’s doing there. We’ve played some exciting games against Maryland in the past, and we’re looking forward to a highly competitive series.”

Virginia and Maryland used to have an intense and entertaining rivalry on the hardwood on an annual basis, but that all went away when the Terrapins joined the Big Ten in 2014, ending a 62-year term of membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference. UVA and Maryland have played just twice since then, both times as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which has since been replaced by the ACC/SEC Challenge.

“Maryland and Virginia have a long basketball history and we’re excited to bring this series back to life,” said Maryland head coach Kevin Willard. “Looking ahead, I think it means a lot to our fanbase to have our historic rivalries rekindled between Georgetown and now Virginia which has been outstanding under Coach Bennett.”

Maryland owns a 107-76 advantage over Virginia in the all-time series, which was first played in 1913. UVA has won eight of the last nine meetings with Maryland, including both meetings since the Terrapins left for the Big Ten. In the most recent matchup, Virginia defeated Maryland 76-71 in College Park on November 28th, 2018.

The announcement of the renewal of the Virginia-Maryland basketball rivalry comes just a few days before the two schools' football teams are set to do battle. UVA football will host Maryland for the first time since 2012 on Saturday night at Scott Stadium.

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