The Boston College men's basketball team (9-8, 1-3 ACC) is back in action tomorrow, heading down I-95 to travel to College Park, Maryland to take on the 14-4 (2-3 ACC) Terrapins. The game could mark the last time the Eagles face the Terps at the Comcast Center.
With Maryland tentatively scheduled to move to the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season, the Terrapins will play one final season in the ACC next year. With the way the schedule has played out over the last two seasons, it's quite possible that this will BC's last trip to the Comcast Center.
During the 2011-12 season, BC played one game at Maryland (an 81-65 loss). This year, the Eagles and Terps have a home-and-away series tomorrow at Maryland, with the return trip on February 19 at the Heights.
With the additions of the Orange and Panthers, the ACC will likely put together a single-year schedule rotation that incorporates both for next season. Since Notre Dame might not join up for 2013-14, the Eagles will be short one permanent scheduling partner and I doubt the league will put together a schedule model that has permanent partners for a single season. Nevertheless, if this year's schedule informs next year's in any way, it's entirely possible that BC will have just one game against the Terrapins next season -- in Chestnut Hill.
That's not necessarily such a good thing for BC as the Comcast Center has been kind to the Eagles in ACC play.
In fact, the Comcast Center is the only road venue where the Eagles have a winning record in ACC play. The Eagles are 3-2 in five trips to College Park, though they are coming off a loss to the Terps last season.
L - Maryland 73, Boston College 71 (December 11, 2005)
W - Boston College 81, Maryland 78 (December 9, 2007)
W - Boston College 76, Maryland 67 (January 27, 2009)
W - Boston College 79, Maryland 75 (December 12, 2010)
L - Maryland 81, Boston College 65 (February 16, 2012)
The only other ACC venues where BC is .500 are Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena (2-2) and Miami's BankUnited Center (2-2). Everywhere else, the Eagles have a losing record on the road in conference play. For those wondering, BC has never won at Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum (0-4), Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium (0-4), Georgia Tech's temporary 2011-12 home Philips Arena (0-1) and Virginia's former home University Hall (0-1).
Boston College has been ever so close to breaking through in conference play this season. Can the Eagles pull out yet another road victory tomorrow in College Park?