Northeastern University has decided to drop its football program (or look here in case NU doesn’t keep announcements long term). Here are their records (the team started in 1933):
1930’s : 24-20-7
1940’s: 14-29-2
1950″s: 38-30-4
1960’s: 52-29-1
1970’s: 39-53-1
1980’s: 36-66-1
1990’s: 39-70-1
2000’s: 47-67
Total: 289-364-17
They did have a good run in the 1960’s (they even went undefeated in 1963 and went to a bowl, which they lost), but have not been good since (from 196–2009 they had 9 winning seasons and only twice did they have two in a row). Given the recent record, it’s not surprising that the program was being evaluated (Roby said in 2007 that it might be dropped)–still, I’m going to miss them.
I do have a couple questions/problems with this:
The Huntington News notes:
The decision to drop football comes less than a year after the Friends of Northeastern Athletics group wrote in a newsletter that football would not be dropped. In a Dec. 21, 2008 newsletter, the group wrote it met with Roby about future plans for the university’s athletics programs. According to the newsletter, Roby reportedly remarked that there was no reason Northeastern football would not exist for the next four years.
You can also hear this here where two of the people say they were at the meeting and state that Roby did make that promise. That doesn’t seem very honest to me.
Also:
What the players had a tougher time accepting was the way the news was delivered. As late as last week, Northeastern officials had come to them, asking their parents an friends to donate money to help the program. “They sent out the letter last Wednesday,” said Gilmartin-Donohue, who is from White Plains, N.Y.
I also wonder what will happen with the Campus Recreation Fee:
This fee is assessed during terms the students are in classes to support the future construction of athletic fields and facilities.
It’s not obvious in this statement, but you can see more details here:
Northeastern University is hoping to build a $35 million, 8,500-spectator sports stadium and recreation complex off Columbus Avenue in Roxbury as part of its ongoing effort to expand its Boston campus, university officials confirmed yesterday.
…
A stadium and recreation complex would add a critical component to the university’s continuing efforts to transform Northeastern from its commuter roots to a large, vibrant, residential campus. Currently, the football team uses university-owned Parsons Field in Brookline, which is a 2-mile walk or ride from the university and is often sparsely attended for football games and other sporting events. O’Brien said he did not know if the university would sell the Parsons Field land to help pay for the new facility.
Students approved a $90 mandatory recreation fee last spring that will raise the $10 million they have pledged to the proposal, said Student Government Association president Bill Durkin. Until this academic year, a $60 sports and recreation pass had been optional, he said.
Obviously, football is the only sport that would be looking for 8500 seats. The question now is what happens to a fee that was mostly trying to get a football stadium built on campus?
Petunias 