Maryland football coach Michael Locksley was candid about why he felt the Terps took a step back in 2024.
“I lost my locker room,” Locksley said in March.
The Terps’ coach reiterated those thoughts Tuesday at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas, as he looked back on Maryland’s dreadful 4-8 campaign in 2024. The team won just one conference game, dropping five consecutive contests to end the season, including an ugly 44-7 loss to Penn State to end the year. The Terps missed out on a bowl game for the first time in three seasons.
“We had haves and have nots for the first time in our locker room,” said Locksley, referring to NIL deals for some of the players on his roster. “The landscape of college football taught me a valuable lesson. And that valuable lesson is, it’s important for me, even in the midst of this change, to continue to educate our players on the importance of playing for something bigger than yourself.”
Locksley set up a unique sign outside the team’s locker room ahead of the 2025 season to combat selfishness.
"When you enter those doors, we'll all pay the same price for success or failure."
Michael Locksley shares the message posted outside the @TerpsFootball locker room this season 👇#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/6aFNYemEdf
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 22, 2025
“That sign reads, ‘You can leave your Louis [Vuitton] belts, your car keys and your financial statement outside this locker room. Because when you enter those doors, we’ll all pay the same price for success or failure,’” Locksley said.
Locksley says revenue sharing — colleges can pay athletes directly as of July 1 — should reduce some of the financial gaps between players that led to trouble this past season. He shared optimism that a more even playing field will lead to a better locker room dynamic.
Don’t tell that to prognosticators.
USA Today’s Big Ten preseason poll — the league no longer releases a preseason poll — picks the Terps to finish 17th out of 18 teams. ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks Maryland 61st nationally, which is 16th among Big Ten teams. ESPN’s SP+ has the Terps 70th as of late May. For comparison, Navy ranks 68th in SP+.
The expectations are low in Locksley’s seventh season guiding the Terps. He’s yet to post a winning record in league play, although he led the Terps to bowl wins in 2021, 2022 and 2023. After a four-win season, reaching a bowl game would be a welcomed return. That’s possible, with the Terps avoiding Big Ten powers Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State this fall, but FanDuel lists the Terps over/under for wins at just 4 1/2.
Regardless of how outside outlets view the Terps entering 2025, Locksley is intent on focusing internally.
“If I’ve got to put my desk in the locker room this year, I will,” he said.
Locksley doesn’t want to repeat last year.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.
