Nov 23, 2009 6:18 pm US/Eastern
Players Stunned After Northeastern Drops Football
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Northeastern began playing football in 1933.
WBZ
Northeastern University is dropping its football program after 74 years, saying it's too expensive to maintain.
"I never saw it coming," said one Northeastern University football player.
It was after their last game this season, a win over Rhode Island, that the University announced it was doing away with the football program
President Joseph Aoun and the board of trustees endorsed the move Friday after a two-year review of the Boston school's sports programs by athletic director Peter Roby.
"It's about money," said Roby. "It would require millions and millions of dollars to go forward, and I was not willing to recommend to the administration that kind of investment."
The program's 87 players and 10 coaches learned of the program's demise Sunday night at a meeting on campus with Roby, a day after the Football Championship Subdivision team won its final game 33-27 at Rhode Island.
The Huskies won their final two games to finish 3-8, their sixth consecutive losing season.
They've been playing football at Northeastern since 1933, and some years with great success. But in recent years, the attendance at home games has averaged 1,600 people. No fans, equals no revenue, and it costs about $3 million dollars a year to operate a football team at Northeastern.
The school made the announcement on its
Web site Monday. "We do not define success merely through wins and losses," said Roby. "Instead, we recognize that success comes from creating a positive student-athlete experience. The primary motivation for this decision was based on the significant obstacles to providing this experience for our football players."
Officials hope the timing of the announcement will give players enough time to make future plans at Northeastern, or another university.
But most of the players were stunned and never saw it coming. Steve Murray, from D.C., says he was blindsided. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I came here to play football. Now, I'll have to network, and kind-of audition for other schools", said the sophomore.
Northeastern follows Boston University in getting rid of the football program. Boston University did it in 1999.
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