Williams joked that of the “712 boxes” that are still packed, one contains his baseball glove and ball. He said that he asked Terps baseball coach Matt Swope for some practice time to warm up his arm.

“I’m predicting I won’t throw it in the dirt,” he quipped before adding that the players are supposed to join him on the mound. “I want them to experience it, too.”

It has been a whirlwind three months since Williams — who turns 53 on Sept. 1 — was hired April 1 to succeed Kevin Willard after the latter turned the team’s run to the Sweet 16 in March into an almost-daily speculation of his tenure at Maryland until he left for Villanova two days after the Terps’ loss to eventual national champion Florida.

In a 25-minute interview with The Baltimore Sun inside the players’ lounge inside Xfinity Center, Williams touched on topics such as his decision to leave Texas A&M despite leading that program to three NCAA Tournament appearances in six seasons, the challenges of replenishing a depleted roster and his thoughts on the NCAA’s House settlement that is expected to give universities up to $20.5 million to distribute among its athletes.

Editor’s note: Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Considering the turmoil surrounding the Terps after Willard’s departure, why did you agree to take the job?

I think the history of the job, I think the location relative to really good players and really good coaches, I think the history of the program speaks for itself — not just to me, but to all coaches, to all fans. I haven’t been in a game at Xfinity, but I haven’t found one person that hasn’t said it’s an unbelievable homecourt advantage. So on the turmoil [front], honestly, I didn’t know any of it because we were playing, too. And [as a] typical coach, you’re so into your own team and how can you try to win the next game? Some of the things that were going on, I never heard about them until [university president] Dr. [Darryll J.] Pines introduced himself and began to explain some of it, and I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know.’

Did the absence of full-time athletic director before Jim Smith was hired in May give you pause?

I think anything that’s unsettling in college athletics gives everyone pause, and I don’t even say that in a negative way. I really respected Dr. Pines’ transparency. He was telling me things about the turmoil — as you called it — and I didn’t know. For someone who I just met, I had great confidence in who he was as a person by his willingness to be so upfront professionally. To your point, who’s the AD? Is Colleen [Sorem, the interim athletic director who eventually followed previous Maryland athletic director Damon Evans to SMU] going to be the AD? Obviously, Colleen was involved every step of the way with me. She was tremendous. I didn’t know her either, and I loved her energy, I loved how competitive she was. But again, how did the search go and who’s going to be the AD — I stayed out of all of it.

How difficult was the position knowing every returning pIayer on Iast year’s roster had entered the transfer portaI?

At that time, the legislation hadn’t passed. So you don’t even know what the rules are going to be. And everybody was thinking that at any day the litigation was going to be solved. I don’t know. Are we good? I don’t know. Are we bad? I think you just try to do the best you can that late in the cycle relative to the character of the people that you want to be on your team, the work ethic of those individuals. I didn’t want to sign a team full of seniors. You probably can’t sign a team full of freshmen. And you can’t sign all point guards, but you can’t sign all centers. So who’s left? Who can we get involved with? What makes sense for today? What potentially gives us some foundational pieces going forward? So I think the staff did a really good job in regards to who has eligibility remaining for more than a year, who has versatility to do more than one thing. I think we’ll adapt our style of play relative to who’s on our team. I think we’ve always done that. And we’re trying to figure some of that out, literally, when you leave.

How much of the $20.5 million from the NCAA’s House settlement will go to basketball?

I don’t know how it’ll end up shaking out. This is my opinion. … I think that’s probably why there seems to be, even 20 days in, such concern. How does this work? The wording of the ruling, what’s it going to be? So what I think probably doesn’t matter in the big scheme of things, but I feel very confident. I’ve had a couple of interactions with Mr. Smith. I think he started officially last week after the [MLB] All-Star Game, but we’ve been on the road recruiting. Our recruiting period just ended, so I’m meeting with him. My first meeting with him officially, I guess, is Thursday morning. He’s been tremendous.

How would you describe your relationship with Smith? 

I didn’t know him. And as I mentioned to you, I wasn’t involved in any of the [interviews]. I like his energy though. I like that in my interactions, he has the personality to find a way to be successful instead of having a predetermined list on why it won’t work. I think in what this has become, there is no easy answer, and if you’re the person that’s going to bail out when it becomes complex … This state of college athletics is much more complex than I think people realize, and that’s why you see so many opinions. Is it the commissioners? Is it the government? Is it Congress? What’s this going to become? I don’t think anybody knows. And so I think that Mr. Smith’s energy on, ‘We’re going to figure it out, we’re going to keep trying to figure it out,’ I personally think that’s probably what you’re going to need over the next five to 10 years on whatever this is going to become.

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.

Shell Shock, coached by former Terps standout Juan Dixon, defeated NXT ERA Elite in the James Madison regional final of The Basketball Tournament, a 64-team event with a $1 million prize awarded to the winning team. Shell Shock won, 68-62, despite trailing by 11 points in the opening moments of the nine-minute fourth quarter.

The team looked to be on its way out of the tournament before catching fire from the field and stringing defensive stops together. Shell Shock leaned on a pair of non-Terps with Maryland ties to complete the comeback, ending the game on a 21-4 run.

Of the team’s final 21 points, former Maryland Eastern Shore guard Kevon Voyles scored six and former Coppin State wing Anthony Tarke added eight. Tarke, who played under Dixon at Coppin State in 2020-21, finished the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

TBT features a unique finish, known as the Elam Ending. Once there’s a stoppage at or under four minutes left in the final quarter, the clock shuts off. There then becomes a target score for winning, which is eight points above the leading team’s score. In this case, the game paused with Shell Shock leading 59-58, meaning the first team to reach 67 would win.

Tarke scored Shell Shock’s first six points of the Elam Ending before ex-Houston Christian standout Ronald March drilled an NBA-range 3-pointer to send Shell Shock into the next round. His teammates rushed the floor to celebrate as the shot went through the hoop. March led the team with 21 points.

WOW, RONALD MARCH PULLS UP FROM THE LOGO FOR THE WIN! @TBTTerps win the JMU Region. pic.twitter.com/IHcXCCxf4g

— TBT (@thetournament) July 23, 2025

The team is now just three wins away from capturing the TBT title, despite not having guards Melo Trimble or Eric Ayala available through the opening three games. The two former Maryland guards are nursing knee injuries but could potentially become available in the later rounds.

Former Terps standout Darryl Morsell handled facilitating duties Tuesday with Trimble and Ayala injured, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. The 2021 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year also played a key role defensively, pressuring NXT ERA Elite guards.

Former San Jose State guard Sage Tolbert led NXT ERA Elite with 13 points. Chol Marial, a 7-footer who began his college career at Maryland, went scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting, but he did add six rebounds and two assists for NXT ERA Elite.

Diamond Stone, a former five-star recruit and Terps standout in 2015, was a nonfactor. The center scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting in 12 minutes, as he spent most of the second half on the bench as both teams went with smaller lineups. He could play a bigger role in Shell Shock’s next game, as he averaged 19 points per game in the team’s first two wins.

Even without a meaningful second-half role, Stone was among the first players off the bench to greet his teammates during their second-half surge. He added four rebounds in the victory.

Shell Shock advances to face Best Virginia, a West Virginia alumni team, in the TBT quarterfinals on Monday at 6 p.m. The two college programs have played 39 times and met most recently in 2023, with Maryland winning an NCAA Tournament game, 67-65. Monday’s TBT game will be played at the Charleston Coliseum in West Virginia.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.

ROUND OF 16: Watch the Game Highlights from Shell Shock vs. NXT ERA Elite, 07/22/2025 pic.twitter.com/kJma0GzqsN

— TBT (@thetournament) July 23, 2025

“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.

Count former Terps standout Diamond Stone among the hoops obsessed.

The AUBC hosted a regional of The Basketball Tournament, a 64-team event that hands out a $1 million prize to its winning team. Filled with current professionals, excluding NBA talent, the tournament has required solid play to win since its inception in 2014.

Shell Shock, the No. 2 seed in the James Madison regional, is one step closer. The team, composed mostly of former Maryland players like Stone, won its first-round game, 75-74, over Love Virginia.

Stone scored 15 points and added seven rebounds in just 19 minutes of play.

“Diamond is a problem,” coach Juan Dixon, a former Terps star who coached Coppin State from 2017 before his firing in 2023, said after the win. “He’s a heck of an offensive talent. He can shoot it from deep. He can play off the dribble. We all know that he’s a force in the paint.”

The past few years have affirmed how much Stone loves the sport regardless of outside recognition. Friday was another example. Stone, a former five-star recruit who played for the Terps in 2015-16 and became the Big Ten’s Newcomer of the Year in his lone college season, was picked in the second round of the 2016 NBA draft. His NBA career was short-lived, however.

Stone bounced around G League teams before making his way overseas. Now, he’s one of the best players for the Zavkhan Brothers, a team in The League, a professional league in Mongolia. He made his presence known offensively Friday.

Dixon says that Diamond’s minutes were limited, especially late, because of Love Virginia’s guard-heavy lineup and a few defensive lulls.

“He needs to guard better so he can get extended minutes,” Dixon said.

Shell Shock was without a few key contributors in its win, as Melo Trimble missed the game with a knee injury. Trimble, a former top-50 recruit, was a standout for the Terps from 2014 through 2017. After going undrafted, he spent a year in the G League before heading international, too. He’s now playing a starring role for CSKA Moscow in Russia. His status for the rest of the tournament is to be determined.

“Man, we need Melo Trimble bad, right?” Dixon said. “Melo is trying to get healthy, dealing with the knee issue. His health is most important, so hopefully we can get him some time throughout the tournament, but we trust the guys that we have in the locker room right now.”

It was Ronald March, a former Houston Christian standout, who picked up the slack. The 6-5 guard finished with a team-high 24 points, including the game-winning free throws. Former Maryland guard Darryl Morsell (Mount Saint Joseph) chipped in 10 points in the victory, helping Shell Shock advance to the next round. The team will face No. 3 seed Red Rose Thunder, which made a regional final in 2024, on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game can be streamed on YouTube.

“We’re pretty confident that we can get another one Sunday,” Dixon said.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.

Queen, a Baltimore native and former Maryland star, underwent left wrist surgery to repair a torn ligament, the team announced Friday. He suffered the injury on July 15 in a game against the Trail Blazers, and the Pelicans will reevaluate the first-round pick in approximately three months.

The NBA season tips off Oct. 21, meaning that Queen could be in jeopardy of missing the beginning of New Orleans’ season. It’s a disappointing development for the 20-year-old after a promising start to his professional career.

The former St. Frances star averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds over three NBA Summer League games, shooting 43.8% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. Queen is expected to receive significant playing time for the Pelicans as a rookie after showcasing his unique skill set in one season with the Terps.

Queen led Maryland to a Sweet 16 appearance this past season, averaging 16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game on 52.6% shooting as a true freshman. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, becoming the first Terp to win the award since Joe Smith in 1994. Queen’s buzzer-beater in the second round of the NCAA Tournament sent the Terps to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 and cemented his legacy within the program despite only spending one year in College Park. He went semi-viral for his quotes after the game-winning shot, as he took the time to shout out Baltimore.

He was then drafted 13th overall in this year’s NBA draft following a bold move up the board by New Orleans, which parted with an unprotected 2026 first-round pick in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-foot-10 Queen’s ability to pass, dribble and score is unique for his size. Some scouts have said that he needs defensive improvement to thrive in the NBA, but there are little doubts about Queen’s offensive game. New Orleans will use him in a frontcourt that also features Zion Williamson.

The next step in Queen’s development, however, will take place after an unexpected injury delay.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.

When Tim — who was called “T” by family and friends — was about 10 years old, his mother Mary asked him why he fought so hard to stay awake.

“His answer was, ‘I didn’t want to miss the fun,’” Rich Strachan recalled. “He was just that kind of person.”

Mr. Strachan, who became a broadcaster for Maryland football games, a lawyer and a motivational speaker after a diving accident that left him paralyzed and prevented him from continuing what had been a promising football career as a star quarterback, died of cancer on July 8. The Kensington resident was less than two months shy of celebrating his 50th birthday.

Mr. Strachan, who was in a wheelchair for the final 32 years of his life, was an inspiration to many who crossed paths with him. Mark Duffner, who coached the Terps during the early stages of Mr. Strachan’s radio broadcasting career, described Mr. Strachan as an unforgettable figure.

“We’re all better because of the impact and awareness and association with Tim Strachan,” he said. “The world needs way more people like this guy because — we called him ‘T-Bird’ — he was a rare bird.”

Added Rich Strachan: “He would tell you that he had two lives, and they were both awesome. He had a good first life and a good second life.”

Mr. Strachan was the youngest of four sons born to and raised by the former Mary Fisher, a homemaker, and Rich Strachan, cofounder of Fisher & Strachan, a commercial interior construction company in Rockville. At DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Mr. Strachan developed into one of the top high school quarterback recruits nationally — on par with peers such as Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb.

“He certainly had everything that every school in the country was looking for as a quarterback,” said Duffner, who asserted that Maryland was the first major college program to offer a scholarship to Mr. Strachan in spring 1993 after he led DeMatha to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title in fall 1992. “He just had everything — size, speed. So it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Despite the Terps’ offer, Mr. Strachan committed to play at Penn State. But on Aug. 5, 1993, during a family vacation at Bethany Beach, Delaware, the 17-year-old rising senior dove into a wave, struck the ocean floor with his head, and was paralyzed from the neck down.

“It was devastating,” his father said. “No one is ever prepared for anything like that. He was airlifted by a helicopter to Philadelphia because that was the regional spot for spinal cord injuries. And then Mary and I had to get our stuff together, and we drove up that night. We drove up that night, and we were there for two months.”

Mr. Strachan returned Penn State’s scholarship offer so that he could begin rehabilitation in Washington. But Duffner and the Terps reconfirmed their offer to Strachan, who accepted.

“We felt at the university that we made an offer to him, and so we honored that,” he said. “And I was very pleased that Dr. [William] Kirwan, the president of the school, and Mr. [Andy] Geiger, the athletic director, were on board to honor that scholarship. I just know that when we got the phone call that he had the accident and everything else, we just made it clear to them that the offer we had made was still enforced.”

Mr. Strachan joined the Terps’ staff as a student coach assisting with the quarterbacks. His work at the position impressed Duffner.

“He wasn’t just some guy that walked out there and was holding the football and twirling around,” he said. “He could learn quickly and had a great thirst for learning, but then could apply it in terms of helping the thought process of our players to be aware and to anticipate their next move.”

Johnny Holliday, who has served 46 years as play-by-play broadcaster for Maryland football and basketball games, asked Duffner if Mr. Strachan, a sophomore at the time, could join the broadcast as a sideline reporter during football games. Mr. Strachan was an immediate success.

“The first game he did, I’m thinking, ‘This guy is magic. It’s like he’s been doing this all of his life,’” Holliday said. “He would predict plays, and every one would come true. He’d say, ‘OK, they’ll probably go with this formation, and they’ll probably run this,’ and they ran it.”

Those who knew Mr. Strachan said that he never wavered in his belief that he would walk again. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen was struck by Mr. Starchan’s determination and remembered one night when they planned to attend an event at DeMatha after an interview in his on-campus office.

“We left at about the same time, and he beat me there,” he said. “I mean, he was just an incredible person.”

Rich Strachan said that his son refused to wallow in self-pity.

“T’s story is not a sad story,” he said. “It’s unfortunate. You could accept the fact that he was where he was, and you just went from there. He went from there, his friends went from there.”

During one preseason camp, Friedgen asked Mr. Strachan to speak to the team.

“He told my players, ‘I know you guys dread going through two-a-days in the hot sun. I would do anything just to be able to do that again,’” he said. “Very uplifting, very positive.”

Diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago, Mr. Strachan endured some trying times, especially in the past several weeks. But he always had the time and strength to welcome visitors.

“There were so many people that wanted to come into the room,” his father said. “He’d be exhausted at the end of the day, and we said, ‘Do you want us to cut back on the number of people?’ He said, ‘Oh, no, I like that.’ God gave him a special talent.”

In addition to his parents, Mr. Strachan is survived by his wife, the former Leslie Neale, of Kensington; two daughters, Sophie and Olivia; one son, Luke; and three brothers, Beau, Bret and Pooh, all of Kensington.

A vigil service of celebration will be held Monday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Morgan and Kathy Wootten Gymnasium inside the Lt. Brendan Looney Convocation Center at DeMatha with a remembrance following at 5 p.m.

A Mass of Christian burial will take place Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kensington.

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.

Mike Shoals appreciated the life provided by his father.

“He might not have made the Pro Bowl in his career, but as a father, he’s in the Hall of Fame,” he said from his home in Loveland, Ohio. “I mean, he’s the best.”

Mr. Shoals, who played football at the University of Maryland, died of pneumonia on June 30 at Lankenau Medical Center in Penn Wynne, Pennsylvania. He was 86.

Mr. Shoals’ influence wasn’t limited to his family. Alex Stamateris had known Mr. Shoals for the past 35 years and described him as one of the most important people in his life.

“I got a lot from my father, but what my father didn’t teach me, I got from Roger Shoals,” Stamateris said. “I couldn’t have had two better mentors in my life than my own father and Roger. Meeting Roger Shoals was a wonderful experience.”

Mr. Shoals was the first of four children born to and raised by Ruth, a homemaker, and Roger Shoals, a salesman for an adhesive manufacturer. Mr. Shoals was born in Baltimore, but the family moved to Norwalk, Connecticut.

Mr. Shoals played football at Norwalk High School, and his prowess caught the attention of the family’s dentist, who was a Maryland graduate.

“He had a great love for the University of Maryland, and he did whatever he could to help them,” Mike Shoals said. “I know that he was involved in recruiting various players from that area in Connecticut to go to the University of Maryland, and I think my dad was very thankful to him. He was a strong recruiter, and he really influenced my dad to go there.”

At 6 feet 4 and 240 pounds, Mr. Shoals developed into a powerful offensive lineman for the Terps and contributed to three winning seasons, including victories in 1961 over Syracuse (ranked No. 7 nationally at the time) and Penn State. He also wrestled, earning an Atlantic Coast Conference title in the heavyweight division in 1961.

Mr. Shoals was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 16th round of the 1961 NFL draft, but remained in College Park and was rewarded by being named a member of the All-ACC second team later that season. The following year, he was chosen by the Dallas Texans in the 34th round of the AFL draft, but played for Cleveland.

Mr. Shoals played in 104 games with 70 starts primarily at offensive tackle for the Browns (1963-1964), Detroit Lions (1965-1970) and Denver Broncos (1971). He opened running lanes for Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, returned a fumble for his only touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1964, and helped Cleveland capture the NFL championship later that year.

At a time when NFL contracts were not as lucrative as they are today, Mr. Shoals worked full time as a paper salesman. The company he worked for made arrangements with the Lions for Mr. Shoals to skip flights from road games to Detroit in favor of flights to New York City so that he could spend Mondays at the office before returning that night to make it to Lions practice the next day.

Mike Shoals said his father also used his NFL ties to advance his career in sales.

“If they were going to play the Eagles, he would purchase the tickets from the players who didn’t want those tickets and send them all to the [paper company’s] Philadelphia office and say, ‘Here’s 30 tickets for the game. Get the best customers there,’” he said. “And then he would identify who the best customers were and say, ‘Let’s get them into the locker room, and get them a T-shirt or something.’ You couldn’t go to the store and buy a Detroit Lions T-shirt because they weren’t available. So something as simple as a T-shirt was valued because no one else had it.”

Torn ligaments in his knee cut short Mr. Shoals’ season in 1967 after just four games. The aches and pains continued to pile up until he retired after his one season with the Broncos.

“He felt he could have played more, but he basically always said, ‘Listen, I can’t block anybody from a wheelchair. I’m too old to be doing this,’” Mike Shoals said. “He basically retired to concentrate on the paper, which he did for the rest of his career after that.”

Mr. Shoals sold paper for 30 more years after his retirement from football and purchased an ownership stake in a car dealership in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. In his free time, he enjoyed playing golf, going to the beach, fishing, and taking his boat called “Junk Mail” out on the water.

Stamateris, who met Mr. Shoals while boating, said his friend never bragged about his NFL career or his role in a 1968 movie called “Paper Lion” with Alan Alda, Lauren Hutton and Karras. He cited an example of Mr. Shoals keeping in his office the football that he scored against the Eagles.

“You had to ask him about it to get the story,” he said. “He didn’t sit there and go, ‘See that football?’ He wasn’t that kind of person.”

Stamateris said Mr. Shoals was the type of person to invite friends over for dinner and then ask his wife, Jean, if there were more steaks to grill. He said Mr. Shoals enjoyed betting with friends when fishing and golfing, often asking his vanquished opponents to sign $1 bills and then fork them over.

“At one time, Roger had just under 200 of these $1 bills,” he said. “He would take them out and read the names of the people he took them off of. He had four or five of mine.”

In addition to his wife, Jean, of 65 years of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, and son, Mr. Shoals is survived by his daughter, Hollie Casper, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; his siblings, Doug Shoals, of Manchester, New Hampshire, Susan Shoals of Wilton, Connecticut, and Steve Shoals of Wilton, Connecticut; and four grandchildren.

Visitation followed by a funeral Mass was held on July 10 at St. John Vianney Church in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania.

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.

The Terps tabbed Utah State athletic director Diana Sabau as chief deputy athletic director, the school announced Wednesday, adding Smith’s top assistant as the pair look to guide the athletic department into the reshaped landscape of college athletics.

“Diana comes to Maryland with a history of building dynamic winning cultures in college athletics,” Smith said in a news release. “She has worked in all facets of intercollegiate athletics at the highest levels with some of the most successful programs in the country. She has extensive experience, knowledge, and relationships throughout the country, which will be a major benefit to Maryland. We are so excited to add her to our leadership team at Maryland and know she will have a major impact on the future success of all of our Terrapins.”

Sabau (pronounced say-bo) was Utah State’s athletic director for the previous two years. There, she oversaw the school’s move from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 and hired new football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball coaches. The Aggies produced a school-record four conference championships in her first year.

Before joining Utah State, she spent two years as the deputy commissioner and chief sports officer for the Big Ten after working in Ohio State’s athletic department for two decades, overlapping there with Smith before he transitioned to a career in professional sports.

In her new role in College Park, which she’ll begin July 28, Sabau will be responsible for “implementing new strategies and initiatives, including revenue-share management, contract negotiations, football scheduling, creating operating efficiencies, enhancing the overall student-athlete experience, and correspondence with the Big Ten Conference,” according to the release.

“Coming back to a conference that I know and love is important and special to me,” Sabau said in the release. “This is a dynamic time for all of college athletics, and I’m eager to help drive strategic growth, operational excellence, and a student-athlete-centered culture that reflects Maryland’s tradition of excellence.”

Alongside Smith, the top of Maryland’s athletic department now features Sabau and Joe LaBue. LaBue, a Maryland alumnus, was named deputy athletic director/chief revenue officer last month. LaBue previously served as president of the Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC and was discussed as a candidate for Maryland’s athletic director opening, The Baltimore Sun reported in April.

Together, the trio will be tasked with stabilizing Maryland in the revenue-sharing era. Starting July 1, all Division I schools can pay their student-athletes directly as a result of the settlement of three antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA. Former athletic director Damon Evans announced in January — and associate athletic director Kirby Mills reaffirmed in June — that the Terps plan to commit the full $20.5 million limit to revenue sharing and that most of it would go to football and men’s and women’s basketball, a strategy that coincides with most other schools that have made their plans public.

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.

Maryland is set to play Gonzaga and UNLV in the Player’s Era Festival, an 18-team event held in Las Vegas from Nov. 24-26 that pays out millions of dollars in name, image and likeness money to the champion, the school announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Terps will battle UNLV to open the tournament at midnight (ET) on Nov. 24, then face Gonzaga the next day at 9:30 p.m. If Maryland wins both games, it will be eligible for the championship or third-place game on Nov. 26, which is decided by tiebreakers such as point differential and total points scored if multiple teams are unbeaten through the first two days.

This is the second iteration of the Player’s Era Festival, which Oregon won last season. Last year’s event featured eight teams and awarded $9 million in NIL funds to the Ducks. This season’s tournament added 10 teams and, according to CBS, will shell out more than $20 million in NIL money — every team that participates gets $1 million, with additional funds going to the winner.

Seven of last year’s teams — Alabama, Creighton, Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers and San Diego State — are participating again. Texas A&M is the lone exception after Williams departed and will now bring his new team to the event. Auburn, Baylor, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, St. John’s, Syracuse, Tennessee and UNLV are the other additions for 2025.

The concept of payouts like these is growing more normal by the year. The House v. NCAA settlement, which ended three antitrust lawsuits that claimed the organization prevented athletes from their full earning potential, paved the way for revenue sharing to begin this month. Starting Tuesday, all NCAA Division I schools can directly pay athletes up to $20.5 million. It will be up to the schools to decide how to divide that amount across teams and rosters. Maryland said last month that most of the $20.5 million will go to Williams’ men’s basketball team, football and women’s basketball.

Maryland’s nonconference schedule was largely forgettable during Willard’s tenure. The Terps played two out-of-conference opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll during the former coach’s first season in College Park in 2022, then just one such opponent each of his final two seasons.

Maryland went 0-4 in those contests. According to KenPom, the Terps had the sixth-worst nonconference strength of schedule in Division I last season.

Several anticipated matchups headline Williams’ first nonconference schedule in addition to the Player’s Era Festival. Maryland will face Georgetown in the Terps’ home opener as the first game of a four-year series, then travel to Marquette on Nov. 15 and Virginia on Dec. 20. Maryland will also face Coppin State in Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena on Nov. 3.

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.

Starting Tuesday, Division I schools will be allowed to pay athletes directly as a result of a settlement ending three antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA. It paves the way for revenue sharing, which will give athletes a portion of the resources they help generate for the first time in the history of college sports.

The University of Maryland announced it plans to spend the maximum allowed amount on its players. Some nonpower conference local schools will also participate, while others are opting out.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What’s going on?

NCAA Division I schools can pay student athletes directly through what will be known as revenue sharing starting Tuesday. Schools can pay their athletes up to $20.5 million of the revenue their athletic departments generate. It will be up to schools individually to decide how to allocate that across sports. Most expect football and men’s basketball to lead the way.

The $20.5 million figure is expected to rise incrementally every year, similar to how the NFL’s salary cap increases annually, proportional to the league’s revenue. In addition to introducing revenue sharing, schools that opt in will also be forced to help pay $2.8 billion in back pay to former NCAA athletes who competed since 2016. The University of Maryland’s share of that is $1.5 million annually over the next decade. Scholarship limits will also be increased for all sports, the Terps announced earlier this month.

Why is this happening?

This is the result of the settlement from the House v. NCAA case. It received preliminary approval in October, then California judge Claudia Wilken heard final arguments in April, and a revised version of the settlement was approved on June 6. Schools are expected to begin paying athletes as soon as Tuesday. The House v. NCAA settlement ended three antitrust lawsuits, all of which argued the NCAA illegally limited college athletes’ earning abilities.

Schools from the power conferences — the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference —  were required to opt in to the agreement, while nonpower conference Division I schools had the choice to opt out of the settlement by a June 15 deadline.

How will schools allocate the money?

Most power conference schools, such as Maryland, have said they will give a large portion of the $20.5 million to football and men’s and women’s basketball. For many schools, those are the top revenue-producing programs.

Former Terps athletic director Damon Evans said in January, before he left for SMU in March, that Maryland would commit “a vast majority” to those three sports. In a news release earlier this month, associate AD Kirby Mills said that is still the school’s plan.

No schools have said publicly exactly how they’ll divide the $20.5 million, but some have offered insight. Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne recently said the Crimson Tide will give most to football and men’s basketball, like Maryland, while also carving out some for ticketed sports: women’s basketball, baseball, softball and gymnastics.

How schools navigate funding nonrevenue programs will be an added wrinkle that could set them apart from their competition. Maryland’s nonrevenue teams, most notably men’s lacrosse, have become the top programs in their respective sports. Revenue sharing could accentuate the divide.

Will name, image and likeness still exist?

Yes, but with a little more oversight and enforcement. Finally.

The power conferences are creating a new enforcement agency to monitor payments to athletes from donors and collectives. Those aren’t going away. Dubbed the College Sports Commission, the agency will be led by former MLB executive Bryan Seeley. Overseeing name, image and likeness payments was previously the responsibility of the NCAA, which coaches and others have opined did little to enforce rules or investigate potential violations.

Do schools have to pay the full $20.5 million?

No, but Maryland and others will. While power conference schools were required to participate and will likely commit to paying that full amount, the rest of Division I had a choice.

The Ivy League announced earlier this year that it will opt out of the settlement, removing its schools from revenue sharing and paying back damages. Saint Francis, a previously Division I school in Pennsylvania whose men’s basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament this season, recently announced it plans to drop to Division III in 2026. The school’s chairman said it was because of “complexities” in the modern landscape, such as “pay-for-play and other shifts that move athletics away from love of the game.”

Maryland is home to eight nonpower conference Division I schools. The American Athletic Conference set a minimum that its schools must commit to revenue sharing of $10 million. But Navy, which does not provide athletic scholarships and whose athletes cannot accept NIL deals, is exempt from that, the AAC announced. The Coastal Athletic Conference, which Towson competes in, said in March it will opt in.

In a statement to The Baltimore Sun, Loyola Maryland, which competes in the Patriot League, said it “has not opted in to the House settlement at this time and will continue to assess the changing landscape.”

Reached via email through an athletic department spokesperson, UMBC athletic director Tiffany Tucker said the Retrievers opted out, and that the America East Conference left that decision up to its schools.

Athletic department spokespeople from Coppin State and Morgan State, both of which compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, told The Sun the Eagles and Bears opted in.

Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.