Departments
|
Week of 31 October 1997 |
Vol. I, No. 10 |
Feature
Article
BU to drop football
New athletics plan focuses on facilities, women's sports
by Brian Fitzgerald
Under a sweeping new plan for BU athletics, the University will build a new athletics complex and boost spending on women's sports and on scholarships for women athletes. Boston University will also discontinue its football program and refocus its resources on several "priority sports" for men and women.
The plan, approved on October 23 by the Board of Trustees, was announced two days later at a news conference on campus. "Sports and recreation are important components of student life and a key focus of alumni interest," said Provost Dennis Berkey. "Our new long-range plan is designed to allocate our resources so that they provide the best array of opportunities to the widest range of people in the Boston University community."
The proposed athletics complex, slated to be built on the site of the former National Guard armory on Commonwealth Avenue, would include a major new student recreation facility to support intramural sports and meet a rising demand on campus for individual recreation and fitness activities. BU will launch an extensive fundraising effort to finance the project.
Although new athletics facilities for students and staff have been on BU's wish list for years, the tone of the press conference was somber at times. "We regret the disappointment that this announcement brings to current football players and their parents and to our coaches and staff," said Berkey. "They are fine men and women, strongly devoted to this program, and they did not expect this development."
Athletics Director Gary Strickler said that the decision was announced at midseason rather than later in the year "to give coaches and players early notice, and to halt the recruiting process" before offers were made to students entering college next year.
Coach Tom Masella chose to break the news to players by himself in a private meeting after Saturday's Northeastern game because rumors were beginning to spread, and at least one newspaper planned to publish a story the next day. Berkey, Strickler, and Marsh Chapel Dean Robert Thornburg, BU's faculty athletics representative, met with the players on October 28, after the team's first practice following the announcement.
Football, which has been played at Boston University for 91 years, had enjoyed great success and strong interest in the middle part of the century, "but the last quarter-century has seen more disappointing results and a steady decline in fan support," said Berkey. "Other Boston University sports, both varsity and intramural, now make stronger claims on the University's resources, and many of these teams enjoy consistently high levels of success and student interest."
At present, BU supports 24 varsity sports -- 12 each for women and men. The new athletics plan identifies eight of these as "priority sports": basketball, crew, field hockey, and soccer for women; and basketball, ice hockey, crew, and soccer for men.
The athletics restructuring plan also calls for boosting funding for women's sports by about $500,000 annually and for increasing scholarships for women varsity athletes by 23 by the 1998-99 school year. "BU has a long-standing commitment to providing strong programs for women athletes," said Strickler. "And interest in women's sports is growing rapidly these days."
The changes also enable BU to continue to increase its female participation rate in varsity sports. "By implementing the total plan, we can achieve a much more balanced set of sports programs for men and women, which is consistent with the philosophy underlying Title IX," said Strickler, referring to 1972 legislation requiring equitable opportunities for women to play sports in schools that receive federal funds. "But the overall goal of the plan is to focus on our strengths, not simply to respond to external requirements."
BU officials said that the new athletics plan is the result of a detailed analysis of the goals, priorities, and needs of the University's sports programs within the context of BU's overall academic and institutional goals and today's mounting economic pressures. Strickler said that BU spends about $3 million -- approximately one-quarter of its $12.4 million athletics budget -- on a football program that brings in $40,000 a year in revenue and $50,000 in contributions from friends and alumni.
"In determining our priorities, we have concluded that we can no longer justify the enormous cost of operating a Division I football program," which will be discontinued at the end of the current season, said Berkey.
In a separate press conference on October 27, Coach Tom Masella, although clearly disappointed, said that the decision to drop football is "a sign of the times" and added that Division I-AA scholarship football "is in trouble." He said that colleges and universities with football teams at that level seem to be either upgrading their programs to Division I-A -- such as the University of Connecticut and possibly Villanova University and the University of Massachusetts -- or dropping scholarships, which Holy Cross is doing.
Masella's contract, which has two more years to run, will be honored, although he and his staff will be free to accept other positions. Athletic scholarships for current players will be continued for their full undergraduate programs. Because football is being terminated, players will be free to transfer to other colleges or universities, where they will be immediately eligible to participate.
Students interviewed by the BU Bridge said that they were surprised by the University's announcement. "It's sad," said Jessica Sill (CGS'00). "A lot of my friends still don't believe it. A university should have a football program." Nelli Foss (CGS'00) said, "Students are upset. We didn't think this would happen." A student identifying himself as Dennis (SFA'00) said, "It did take me by surprise. I agree with the decision, but I never really followed football that much and it seems that the program has been eating up a lot of funds."
"In the long view," said Berkey, "and in the assessment of what will best serve all of our students, we believe that this plan for athletics reflects the changes that have occurred in student sports interests, the needs of a richly diverse student body, and the University's strong commitment to the full development of the human potential in all its dimensions."
He also pointed out that "a number of leading urban universities, such as New York University and American University, do not field Division I football programs. For us, the question was, 'Which sports are the best fit for Boston University?' "
"This new plan, with the construction of new facilities, represents our strongest commitment ever to athletics at Boston University," said President Jon Westling. "While maintaining our primary focus on academic excellence, we hope in the long run to see not only greater successes from our varsity teams, but also greater participation at all levels in sports and recreation at the University."