Northeastern Discontinues Football

NU Football (at its height) was the third most popular sport at NU after Hockey and Basketball. However, it was the largest expenditure and would require vast amount more money to compete in DI FCS. The stadium was sub-par for most high schools and it was far from campus. To build a new stadium would require space that does exist and money the school would rather spend on hockey, basketball, and of course, ACADEMICS. In a way, NU lost its football program twelve years ago when it lost its arch rival BU. It just suffered a slow, emotional and painful death; a dozen years mixed with failure, grand dreams, a conference championship and no interest from students or fans. Unlike most successful football programs, NU is a private school and must rely on other than state allocated funds to support it's football program. BC has Alumni cash as well as support of the Archdiocese. Alumni support in the program could have helped, but like the students, they care more about the two arena sports and academics more than the perennial joke of our athletic programs. After NU I went to Florida for grad school. Although Florida has a great FOOTBALL culture, a NU hockey game is far more fun to go to, and MATTHEW'S ARENA is the biggest hidden gem of all college sport venues. It's like the old Boston Garden (but smaller); loud, with the fans on top of the action, and old (it's the oldest indoor arena in the world). NU is not giving up on sports; its just going to focus on its signature sports. Which in my opinion is a decision that should have been made over a decade ago.

HuskyGator of MA 6:21PM November 30, 2009