The rivalry is back on! The Georgetown Hoyas and Maryland Terrapins will finally again take the floor in men's basketball starting in the 2025-26 season, the schools announced on Tuesday morning and Kevin Sheehan is thrilled about the four-game series.
"When it comes to college basketball Maryland and Georgetown playing each other on a regular basis has been quite the challenge over the years," Sheehan said, noting that the two teams haven't met since they played in November 2016 in D.C. after playing the previous season in College Park. The Terps won both games.
The plan now is for the two sides to play in each of the next four seasons, alternating home venues beginning in 2025 at Maryland.
"This is something I've been talking about for years," Sheehan, a Maryland alum, said. "This is important to me, because I think that this is one of those rivalry games that wasn't played for such a long period of time and should have been played and would have been a big deal for this city. At its core, this is a basketball town.
"Those of you who aren't from here or just arrived, understand that we talk mostly about the football team in this format, most conversations, most sports conversations tend to deal with the football team. But from an involvement standpoint and from an overall talent and production standpoint, this is the best youth, high school basketball area in the country."
The two schools played just two games between 1980 and 2001 and only three times since the Sweet 16 en route to the Terps' National Championship.
"This should be a staple in our area," Sheehan said. "Sometime in late November, early December. Maryland and Georgetown. Home and home, going back and forth. And they're gonna have to get this right.
"I'm gonna tell anybody from Maryland listening and I'm gonna tell Kevin Willard this as well: You can't play this game on a Sunday afternoon during football season. If ESPN or FS1 comes to you and says 'we want a nationally televised game'... and says 'we got you for Sunday, December 9 at 1 o'clock.' Don't do it. Don't do it. You can't play in this town or in Baltimore... you can not play this game on a Sunday."
Ovearall, "I'm happy they decided to do this, it makes so much sense for the area."