On The Road: Big Ten Coalition Visits Maryland

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the University of Maryland Athletics hosted the Big Ten Conference office for its monthly Big Ten Equality Coalition “On the Road.” It was important for Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Damon Evans to host the conference during Black History Month due to the significance of being the only Power Five institution with a Black president, Black athletic director, and Black head football coach. 

Maryland Athletics welcomed Omar Brown, the Big Ten Senior Vice President of the Community & Impact office, with a full day of meetings to introduce himself, share the new and outgoing initiatives from the conference office and learn more about the day-to-day work the department does for the student-athlete experience. 

“Having leaders from the Big Ten’s Community and Impact team visiting our campus and focusing on the importance of the Big Ten Equality Coalition was very powerful,” said Evans. “The conference staff members were incredibly engaged with our student-athletes and our staff as we discussed critical topics. It was especially impactful for the visit to occur during February as we celebrate Black History Month.”