COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The affectionately named Terp Tank sits tucked away around a few corners from the desk of the athletic director on the Plaza Level of the Xfinity Center, about a half-mile northeast of Byrd Stadium on the picturesque University of Maryland campus.
Four large LG televisions hang opposite the entrance on a dark wall adorned with a larger-than-life image of a Maryland football player covered in Under Armour-inspired designs.
You can't miss the cool factor.
Technological instruments measure the impact of the school's digital-marketing efforts in real time, flashing analytics on the mounted screens.
The unveiling of Maryland's Star Spangled uniforms, worn in the Terrapins' Sept. 13 home loss to West Virginia, for instance, generated 325 million online media impressions in 24 hours, including 9.8 million in social media conversation, according to Nick Lofaro, czar of the Terp Tank.
The value of such exposure is difficult to calculate, but Maryland is ahead of the curve in trying.
"Everything we do," said Lofaro, Maryland's associate AD for digital media and creative services, "is centered around our on-field image."
The driving force behind that image is headquartered some 30 miles north, adjacent to Baltimore's Inner Harbor on Locust Point near Fort McHenry. Under Armour, the burgeoning sportswear force nurtured from nothing by founder and CEO Kevin Plank -- a former walk-on football player at Maryland -- collaborates extensively with this new Big Ten institution to craft the Maryland image in ways that transcend the traditional athletic department/outfitter relationship.
"Look good, feel good, play good. It's a mental thing." Maryland equipment manager Jason Baisden, the keeper of all the Terps' uniform combinations.
Under Armour assisted on the ground floor of Maryland's rebranding campaign after the September 2010 hiring of athletic director Kevin Anderson, who witnessed elsewhere the kind of coordinated revival he envisioned in College Park.
"We want to be first in the marketplace," Anderson said. "We want to be an innovator in collegiate athletics. Under Armour wants to be an innovator in sports, period."
Between the two parties, Anderson said, "nothing is out of bounds.
"The sky's the limit."
Under Armour is a hungry player in a powerful industry. It exceeded $2 billion in global sales in 2012, with a stated goal to double that revenue by 2015, and it recently surpassed Adidas as the No. 2 sportswear provider in the United States.
In January, Under Armour signed a 10-year agreement with Notre Dame for approximately $90 million in cash and apparel, the largest deal in industry history.
It marked a massive step, no doubt.
But Maryland and Under Armour are inextricably linked through a dynamic that differs from the connection between the company and other star clients.
The marriage with Maryland, in fact, appears a unique and near-perfect fit. Under Armour is positioned to help the school in ways that Notre Dame, Auburn or South Carolina do not require. Maryland is a rising brand itself, looking to capitalize on energy from conference realignment, its location amid fertile recruiting ground and the cool factor fostered by Under Armour.
This story should sound familiar. Similar teamwork struck gold -- better yet, green -- in the Pac-12 more than a decade ago as apparel-industry behemoth Nike used the University of Oregon as a test lab to produce groundbreaking results that helped boost the Ducks to national prominence.
"Being here," Maryland coach Randy Edsall said, "how could you not notice that?"
As the reach of Under Armour expands, so grows Maryland's potential. Beneath the surface of its middling football success lurks a giant.
Underestimate the potential reach of Under Armour at your own risk.
"Frankly," Plank said in a recent "SportsCenter" special, "we're not done until we're the No. 1 brand in the world."
The presence of Under Armour at Maryland is immense. From recruits to players, coaches and administrators, a mantra exists.
"Look good, feel good, play good," said equipment manager Jason Baisden, the keeper of secrets before every new look is uncovered. "It's a mental thing."
And it begs the question: Could the Terrapins leverage the power of Under Armour to become Oregon of the East?
To continue reading to see the relationship between Under Armour and Maryland, how UA is impacting the Terps on and off the field, how the relationship parallel's the one between Oregon and Nike and if the Terps can have the same kind of success as the Ducks on the field, click here.