Univ. of Maryland men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon hopes that Friday's Maryland Madness event at Cole Field House, which stopped hosting games in '02 when Comcast Center opened, "could be a dry run for his ultimate dream of hosting one game each winter break" at the old arena, according to Alex Prewitt of the WASHINGTON POST. Turgeon said of Cole becoming a permanent home for the event, "It’s a no-brainer. It’s an absolute no-brainer." He said that creating a season-ticket solution is the "last remaining hurdle to clear, besides several facility upgrades like ensuring the scoreboard, seats and bathrooms are 'up to code.'" Turgeon: "There’s a lot of things they’d have to do." Still, the idea "sounds closer to reaching reality than he may admit." UM, either way, "expects a sellout crowd" on Friday night for an alumni game, autograph session, player intros and scrimmage (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 10/16).
NO GRUDGE: ACC Commissioner John Swofford on Wednesday said that there is "no ill will" between the conference and UM, "despite lawsuits that are pending between the school and the league" pertaining to UM's exit fee after joining the Big Ten. Swofford: "I wish them well. I hope that it turns out to be a good decision for the people of Maryland." In Baltimore, Don Markus notes Swofford "downplayed any acrimony, and strongly rejected the suggestion that the reason neither Duke nor North Carolina will be playing this season in College Park in men's basketball stemmed from Maryland’s decision to bail on a league that it helped found" in '53. He said that the ACC will treat the school "no differently than any other team" (Baltimore SUN, 10/18).
