Photos by Gregory Koch Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Ludwig Field University Boulevard and Stadium Drive College Park, MD 20740
Year Opened: 1995
Capacity: 7,000
Fear The Soccer Turtle
Ludwig Field on the University of Maryland's campus is home to the four-time national champion Maryland Terrapins soccer team. The stadium officially seats about 7,000 fans and has consistently ranked as one of the top college soccer venues in the country.
Maryland has been one of the most successful college soccer teams in recent years, winning the national championship in 2005, 2008 and 2018 as well as a title back in 1968. Until they missed out in 2023, the Terps had made every NCAA Tournament since 2001. The 2023 tournament was only the second one they have missed since 1994.
Terps alumni to have played in Major League Soccer include Donovan Pines of D.C. United, Zach Steffen of the Colorado Rapids and U.S. internationals Graham Zusi and Zach Steffen.
Food & Beverage 3
There is a single food stand in the corner of the stadium. Although Ludwig Field is an outstanding venue, the concessions here are simply average. Your only meal options are chicken tenders (which come with fries), veggie burgers, hot dogs, and for health conscious people, a chicken caesar wrap or a spinach, nut, and berry salad. Fruit cups, candy, peanuts, and chips are all available, as is Sasho's Crew Crunch ice cream, which is dulce de leche ice cream with a chocolate swirl and nestle crunch pieces.
Gatorade, bottled water, soda, and hot chocolate are available to drink. There is also a beer garden where fans of age can purchase adult beverages.
Atmosphere 5
There are four sets of seats at Ludwig Field, one along each sideline and one behind each of the goals. The students tend to occupy the goal line seats and stand behind whichever goal the Terps are shooting at (more on that later.) The seats on the near sideline as you come in are chairbacks and are extremely close to the action - the front row is only a few feet away from the sideline. This is the best place to sit, but as all seats are general admission, they do fill up here. On the far sideline, you will find a large set of bleachers which are separated from the field by a running track. You may also struggle to see over the overhangs that cover the team benches, although if you sit high enough, this will not be an issue. A scoreboard is located behind one goal and shows some team stats in addition to the score and time.
Before the game, the Terrapins enter the field amidst pillars of smoke, and the crowd gets fired up for the game. As is typical of soccer at any level, much of the atmosphere comes from the fans, and we will discuss this more in that section, but the team does a lot here as well. There are activities on the concourse for kids and adults alike, and if you arrive early, you can sit up very close to the action at a top-notch college stadium.
Neighborhood 3
College Park is a small college town with enough in the immediate area to get by but is nothing special. There is a bowling alley a couple of miles away, and a bunch of chain restaurants within walking distance. If you’re looking for some local color, College Park Diner is a favorite with residents and students alike and serves up comfort food 24 hours a day. Looney’s Pub on Route 1 is a sports bar with dozens of big-screen TVs for your viewing pleasure. A couple of hotels are located nearby, including a Marriott just off campus, and The Hotel on campus. (Yes, the on-campus hotel is called The Hotel. Not a very creative name).
That being said, if you’re looking to do more than eat and sleep, your best bet is to head down to the Metro station and take the Green Line into D.C. It’s about a 30-minute ride to downtown. Once you’re there, there’s so much to do and most of it is free.
Whether it’s visiting one of the historic monuments and memorials, visiting one of the numerous museums, or simply walking outside on the National Mall, there’s something for everyone. All government-run attractions are free to the public, though some privately-run ones are not. Just keep in mind if you want to tour the Capitol or White House, you will need to reserve that ahead of time.
Fans 5
Maryland consistently ranks in the Top 5 in the nation in attendance, and while they seldom draw close to the alleged capacity of 7,000, the stands can get quite full even with only about half that in attendance, as they were on the day Stadium Journey was in attendance. Sure, they can always manage to fit more fans in if they pay for tickets, but if it gets much fuller than that, some fans may be standing or crammed extremely tightly into the bleachers. Nonetheless, it felt like a near-capacity crowd when we visited, even if officially it wasn't.
Terps fans are loud and proud of their team, especially the large student section. As mentioned above, they stand in the bleachers behind whichever goal the Terps are shooting at in that half, and seek to annoy the opposing goalkeeper as much as possible. They are loud and do support their team, but also have chants directed at the opposing goalkeeper that may not always be completely clean. We're talking mild vulgarity, not slurs or R-rated curse words or anything like that, but it may not be G-rated either, so just be mindful of that.
Access 3
The University of Maryland campus is a few miles off of I-495 (the Capital Beltway) and Maryland Route 295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway). Once on campus, you can park in Lot 1B or 1D right next to the stadium for free on weekends and weeknights after 5 PM. If going to a weekday afternoon game, you will have to park further away in a garage, and pay for that, but as Ludwig Field has lights, this will very rarely be an issue.
Note that there is a lot of construction going on in the vicinity of Ludwig Field, so you may have to walk or drive around blocked off construction areas that can change on a daily basis. Once inside the stadium, you can walk around the track area to get from one set of bleachers to another. Getting around the bleachers themselves can be difficult when it is crowded, but this is to be expected and will likely be the case at any venue.
Real restrooms are available by the concession stand and the far side bleachers, and there are also Port-a-Potties right by the entrance if you are sitting on that side and don't want to walk all the way around..
Return on Investment 5
Tickets for adults are $15 for select premium games against top opponents and $10 for all other games. Discounts are available for youth and seniors as well. Parking is usually free, and concessions are reasonably priced.
Considering this is one of the top college soccer stadiums in the country, perhaps the best, this is an excellent value. Ticket prices may be higher than most college soccer venues, but they are still not that high and you get what you pay for.
Extras 4
Look for the area behind the goal by the entrance offering various promotions and giveaways for children and adults alike. Selections will vary by game, of course, but can include giveaways of free food or Terps merchandise, sign making, or other fun activities.
Free roster sheets are available as you come in as well.
Look for all the banners throughout Ludwig Field honoring the Terrapins' four national championships.
The crowd energy here, especially from the students, is worthy of a fourth extra star.
Final Thoughts
Ludwig Field may be the best college soccer stadium in the country, and it certainly ranks among the elite. The Terps have a great fan base, a gorgeous stadium, and an outstanding team that plays in it. Soccer fans in the region will definitely want to make the trip to Ludwig Field to check out a Terps game.
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