COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The celebration of Maryland Madness, which tips off the new season of basketball at Comcast Center, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12, beginning at 7 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will present a special one-hour program, Maryland Madness presented by Wendy’s, on Friday, Oct. 12. The show will air live on CSN Plus at 7:30 p.m. with an encore at 9 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet following the network’s live coverage of the Terps’ men’s soccer game at Duke (7 p.m.).

Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of Maryland Madness will be highlighted by introductions of the 2012-13 Terps’ men’s and women’s basketball teams, along with head coaches Mark Turgeon and Brenda Frese, and their team scrimmages. The event, which was first held 41 years ago, will also feature the unveiling of the teams’ new Under Armour uniforms.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is free. No tickets are required and seating is first-come, first-served.

The evening includes a student dunk contest, – which will be judged by former Terps football players Torrey Smith, LaQuan Williams and Josh Wilson and former basketball players Walt Williams, Juan Dixon and Dave Neal (subject to change) – and a performance by the Maryland Gymkana Troupe.

Students can register for the student dunk contest and vote on the best returning Terrapin dunker at 2012MarylandBasketball.com, the official fan site of Maryland basketball. Free t-shirts will be given away to the first 4,000 students in attendance and the winner of the student dunk contest will be awarded with free books for the school year.

Comcast SportsNet anchor and reporter Rob Carlin will lead the network’s coverage live from Comcast Center in College Park, Md. He will be joined by former Terrapins star Christy Winters Scott and men’s radio analyst Chris Knoche, who also contributes to the network’s Terps coverage on CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com.

For CSN Plus carriage and channel location, check with your provider or visit CSNwashington.com or CSNbaltimore.com.

Honorable Mention: Pro Wrestling: TNA Bound For Glory (Sunday 8pm from Phoenix live on Pay-Per-View); “Fall Ball” College Lacrosse: Villanova @ Loyola (Saturday Ridley Athletic Complex), MRB “Thumbs Up” Weekend-Ohio State vs. North Carolina (Sunday 10am Calvert Hall); Boxing: Nonito Donaire vs. Toshiaki Nishioka (Saturday 10pm from Carson, CA live on HBO); Golf: PGA Tour Frys.com Open (Thursday-Sunday 4pm from San Martin, CA live on Golf Channel), Champions Tour Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn (Friday-Sunday 1:30pm from Conover, NC live on Golf Channel); High School Football: Eastern Tech @ Perry Hall (Friday 7pm), McDonogh @ Calvert Hall (Friday 7pm), Loyola @ Gilman (Friday 4pm)

10. Zac Brown Band (Friday 6:30pm Jiffy Lube Live); Peter Gabriel (Sunday 8pm Patriot Center); Silversun Pickups (Thursday 8pm Rams Head Live); Los Lonely Boys (Wednesday & Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Temper Trap (Saturday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Mint Condition (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre), Ray Manzarek/Roy Rogers (Friday 8pm Howard Theatre); Matt and Kim (Tuesday & Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Passion Pit (Sunday & Monday 7pm 9:30 Club); Jars of Clay (Tuesday 7:30pm Birchmere); 2 Chainz (Thursday 8pm Hill Field House); Dispatch (Thursday 7pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Spin Doctors (Thursday 8pm Rams Head Center Stage); The English Beat (Friday 9pm State Theatre); Island Bay Day feat. LA Guns/Charm City Devils/Days of the New (Saturday 11am Queen Anne County Fairgrounds); “This Land is Your Land”: Woody Guthrie at 100 Concert feat. John Mellencamp/Tom Morello/Old Crow Medicine Show (Sunday 6pm Kennedy Center); The Wallflowers “Glad All Over” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

There’s few shows that would get me to Jiffy Lube Live, but if the Birds were to wrap this series against the Yanks in 4, I’d be there for Zac Brown Band…

Silversun Pickups are so underrated…

I saw Passion Pit in Chicago once. I don’t really have anything to follow that up with. This is a good song…

Noticed a billboard for the Spin Doctors show on 83 going in to the baseball game Sunday night. Thought to myself “hell yeah, I’d go see the Spin Doctors…”

9. Maryland Brewer’s Oktoberfest (Saturday 11am Timonium Fairgrounds); BJ Novak (Saturday 8pm RAC Arena); Mick Foley (Thursday 8pm Baltimore Comedy Factory), Rob Schneider (Friday-Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Maryland Renaissance Festival (Saturday & Sunday Revel Grove); “Prometheus” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Argo” and “Seven Psychopaths” out in theaters (Friday)

OH MY GOD I LOVE OKTOBERFEST!!! Quick-what’s better about Okotberfest-the food…

The beer?

Or the service?

Danke schoen.

Maryland Madness Set for Friday, Oct. 12

Madness starts at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6:00

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The celebration of Maryland Madness, which tips off the new season of basketball at Comcast Center, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12, beginning at 7 p.m.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is free. No tickets are required and seating is first-come, first-served. Portions of the evening will also air on ESPNU, with former Terrapin great Len Elmore serving as Maryland’s on-site analyst.

The annual event, which was first held 41 years ago, has a number of surprises in store as the Terps look toward the 2012-13 season. The evening includes a student dunk contest, performance by the Maryland Gymkana Troupe and the unveiling of the team’s brand new Under Armour uniforms.

Students can register for the student dunk contest and vote on the best returning Terrapin dunker at www.2012MarylandBasketball.com, the official fan site of Maryland basketball. Free t-shirts will be given away to the first 4,000 students in attendance and the winner of the student dunk contest will be awarded with free books for the school year.

Fans will also be introduced to the 2012-13 men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The Maryland men’s team welcomes eight newcomers and returns two starters in Nick Faust and James Padgett from last season’s team, which went 17-15 under first-year head coach Mark Turgeon.

The Terrapin women’s team, ranked No. 4 in at least one preseason poll, returns four starters from last year’s squad that reached the NCAA Elite Eight and went 31-5 under head coach Brenda Frese.

More information will be released in the coming days on www.umterps.com.