Students often show up to football and basketball games to cheer on the Terps, but athletic department officials hope to create a fan group comprised of students so that all sports teams receive support at both home and away games.

Students often show up to football and basketball games to cheer on the Terps, but athletic department officials hope to create a fan group comprised of students so that all sports teams receive support at both home and away games.

Stanford has The Red Zone, Dartmouth has the Mean Green Machine and The College of William and Mary has The Tribal Fever. Now, this university is striving to develop its own student fan base into an organized club — but students don’t seem to be warming up to the idea.

As part of its strategy to “increase community participation,” detailed in a five-year plan released last Thursday, the athletic department hopes to create a student fan base to support all Terps sports. Many students, however, said such a group won’t work or be popular.

The group would be modeled off existing, informal fan clubs, such as the UMD Crew — which supports men’s soccer by showing up to all games in full gear and loudly cheering — and the Maryland Mob, which supports the volleyball team. The enthusiasm and devotion the groups have for their respective teams are what officials hope to organize and spread to other teams, said Carrie Blankenship, assistant athletic director of marketing and sponsor services.

“We’re not looking to get rid of the Crew or anything,” she said. “The primary focus of this group would be football and basketball because that’s where most of the student interest lies, but also providing support for some of the smaller sports.”

Even though Blankenship said officials have been working with students to get input on new traditions and explore other possibilities for a student group, several students said the success of the smaller fan clubs is every member’s devotion and passion for one particular team, and that spirit won’t transcend the entire athletic department.

“I don’t like that. People have certain interests, so soccer fans might not like football or field hockey,” sophomore business major Melanie Tran said, adding she would not join a club if it was offered.

“It’s easier to support one team wholeheartedly than support a whole bunch,” she said.

The group would be advised by athletic department staff members but comprised of students, Blankenship said. Through the group, officials hope to offer students resources they wouldn’t normally have easy access to, including help organizing road trips for away games.

“We’re listening to our students and the desire to form a student fan club or a student support group as a way to enhance the student experience,” Blankenship said.

The club is still in its infant stage, but Blankenship said the department hopes to make progress in time for basketball season.

“I definitely think all athletes would appreciate that,” women’s basketball guard Sequoia Austin wrote in a message. “I’m fortunate to be on a team that gets lots of support, but not particularly from students. I think all athletes would love to see more of their friends and peers supporting them at local and home games.”

Senior computer science major and Crew President Adam “Stripes” Lauer said he doesn’t support the idea. The success of the Crew is based on the size and atmosphere of Ludwig Field, a small group dynamic and a collective devotion to soccer, he said, and he doesn’t see that translating well to a large, general group.

“About 40 percent go for soccer and 60 percent for the experience of the Crew,” he said. “They love the fact that we’re close with the team. It’s a completely different environment than a basketball game or a football game where you’re just one in a million.”

Although there is an informal marketing partnership between the Crew and the university, it is not an officially recognized club — “We just tell people to show up,” Lauer said.

Lauer said university officials have spoken to his group, but the Crew doesn’t want to comply with terms and conditions on university funding and paperwork that go with being an officially recognized club.

Additionally, Lauer said the Crew has been asked to support other sports in the past by coaches and teams, but when they brought their famous spirit and PG-rated cheers, they were asked to quiet down or leave.

“Everyone goes to the games to support the teams, but it’s a different atmosphere when you go with a group and know everyone is there for that sport,” Tran said.