Annual BC Football Post

Well, I'm clearly still lagging behind in life, but in case you want to know what I do with my free time, here's a letter I wrote to the Athletic Director of Boston College regarding the state of the football program. He should be getting this any day now.

November 14^th, 2009

Mr. Defilippo-

As an avid fan of Boston College Football, I wanted to write to you expressing a concern I have for the program. I held season tickets while attending BC, and have held them since graduating, and intend to remain a season ticket holder for as long as I live in New England. While my friends and I are adamant about attendance, excitement for the team the last two years has been tough to come by. I appreciated receiving two free tickets to opening day, but seeing constant sales and giveaways on half of the schedule is concerning. Most recently at the Central Michigan game, I counted only eleven people sitting in my section by the beginning of the fourth quarter. After the game, I went to visit a tailgate that has been ongoing for more than 20 seasons. I found that they decided for once that they would not bother, and watched the game from home. Some alumni I stay in touch with will watch on TV to avoid the cold weather when the matchup does not excite them, and this season, the home schedule has offered little excitement.

I understand that every major program in college football pads their schedule with teams like Northeastern. But relying on regular matchups with ACC rivals and a Notre Dame game (if we’re lucky) has not excited the Eagles fan base enough. The undefeated record at home is great to brag about, but considering the game play of Florida State and Wake Forest this year, there is little to truly be proud of. Having heard the talk that Notre Dame does not want to play us anymore, BC will need an exciting matchup to get fans off the couch and into the seats.

I know we can’t change the state of college football, “cupcake” games are inevitable, even if fans have little interest in them. I ask that you take a risk with the 2011 schedule, and consider adding the Boise State Broncos to our home schedule. I have read that their athletic director is searching desperately to travel to a major program’s home turf. The media coverage would be fantastic, and it would be a great way to spark added interest in season tickets. After Boise State’s miraculous win over Oklahoma to cap their undefeated season, I took great pride in bragging that Boston College had been the last team to beat the Broncos. And if for some reason we decided to play again, travelling to the blue turf could generate excitement if we can’t get caravans of RV’s to South Bend, Indiana anymore.

Please know that I do not write this to criticize. I’ll buy my season ticket either way, and I will show up whether it’s Boise State or Kent State. But I know that many others will not. Several years ago, a longtime season ticket holder once expressed to me his frustration over changes that required more money from him, and he told me; “BC needs to figure out that it’s not the only game in town.” That attitude is tough for me to hear, but is sadly well known. In this economic climate, if you only have a few hundred dollars to spend on sports games, some would rather spend it all on one Patriots game than a season of “cupcake” BC football games. We know this to be a problem, that BC is often the redheaded stepchild in Boston sports. Please take a risk in the schedules for the coming years, Mr. Defilippo. Thank you for your time, and Go Eagles!

Sincerely,

Sean Harris