St. Joe's adopts BC football team

Saint Joseph's University students may not be entirely without college football next fall.

In a joint effort between the University Student Senate, Student Activities, and the Athletics Department, Saint Joseph's plans to "adopt" the Boston College Eagles football team starting in Fall 2007. Adopting the Eagles would give students a Division I football team to root for, and provide them at least one opportunity a season to attend a home game in Boston, with the possibility of additional programming here at Saint Joseph's.

Dan Harris, '08, Student VP for Student Affairs is heading the effort to bring football back to Saint Joseph's. In his initial proposal Harris listed reasons why the program would be beneficial to the school and Saint Joseph's community.

Harris wrote, "Students will engage in fun and educational programming. Alumni will have a chance to reconnect with one another. Lastly, Saint Joseph's will once again have a football team without the heavy financial burden."

Harris added that this could provide numerous opportunities for Hawks that could extend beyond their college years.

Harris said, "It would be a networking opportunity for St. Joe's students. It would also be an opportunity for students to explore the culturally rich city of Boston."

In a Student Affairs Student Voice survey conducted this winter, students were asked what was missing when it came to Saint Joseph's weekend life. Of the several options provided, adopting a football program was the second most popular, behind social events.

"It's easier to adopt a team than to create one," Harris said. "The University has so many financial commitments at the present time that creating a football team would be prohibitively costly."

Representatives from USS, Student Activities, and the Athletics Department conducted a conference call with Jamie DiLoreto, Assistant Athletic Director of External Operations at BC, to begin discussing the creation of a program and purchase options for tickets. Harris said that BC representatives were interested in the idea of the program and seemed flexible in finding a game date that works for both schools.

The initial game that BC offered was for a match against Bowling Green scheduled for Oct. 6. However, this date conflicts with Family Weekend at Saint Joseph's. Representatives from both schools are working on finalizing a date for the 2007 season.

Don DiJulia, Director of Athletics, supports the development of this initiative. "BC is our first choice as recommended by Dan [Harris] and the students," DiJulia said. "BC is very open to the idea and would love to work it out so that it comes together for Fall '07. They are excited and we are continuing to discuss the matter."

Harris plans on making the adopt a football program an official organization and hopes to eventually receive funds through Student Budget Allocation Committee. In addition to those funds, students would most likely have to still pay a small participation fee to help cover the cost of transportation and tickets.

Harris wants to get student input on the proposal from the Saint Joseph's community. In addition, Harris plans on writing a letter to the editor of BC's student newspaper explaining the program to them. He hopes that this will help generate interest from BC students.

Cheering for another school's football program is not a new event at Saint Joseph's University. It began almost twenty years ago when a Hawk staff writer decided that the school should adopt a football team as a way of having football coverage in The Hawk.

The Oct. 2, 1987 edition of The Hawk contained a letter to the editor with a poll to select a team for St. Joe's students to follow through The Hawk sports section. The Auburn Tigers collected the most votes, and from 1987-1991 the students of Saint Joseph's embraced Auburn University's football program as their own.

Hawk articles referred to the Auburn team as the Tiger-Hawks, and students could follow the ups and downs of this adopted team through the student newspaper.

In the first year of the adoption, approximately 100 Saint Joseph's students went to take part in Auburn's 1987 Homecoming. Auburn offered free tickets for their Homecoming game to anyone presenting a Saint Joseph's I.D.

Students trekked to Auburn for a second time in 1988 and again in 1989.

Saint Joseph's interest in Auburn eventually waned following an unsuccessful 1991 season that was further tainted with play-for-pay allegations made by former Auburn defensive back Eric Ramsey.

The adoption of the Tiger-Hawks was a way for Saint Joseph's to fill the football void that had existed at the University since 1939.

Saint Joseph's University, then Saint Joseph's College, had a football team from 1922-1939. The Hawk nickname was derived from the football team's aerial attack.

This football team was eventually disbanded following the 1939 season due to, "meager success and the prohibitive cost of the program," according to the Greatonian yearbook.

After almost 70 years without a football program to call its own, and over 15 since it broke ties with Auburn, student reactions to the newly proposed program were mixed.

"I think that it's a great way for students who are interested in football to cheer on a fellow Jesuit school," said Meaghan Gallagher, '08. "It will strengthen ties between BC and St. Joe's. I would definitely go to a game. It's such an awesome way to integrate the two schools."

Many students hadn't previously heard of the football adoption program, but think that it is something they would enjoy.

Beth Getty, '10, said, "One of my best friends from high school plays for the team, so I would definitely like the idea."

Others focused on the common ground that both schools share.

Joseph Ricculli, '06, said, "I think that it's a great opportunity for two great Jesuit universities to become sister schools. It is a great opportunity for the University to feel out the possibility of expanding into a football school in the future."

Others felt that BC wouldn't be the best fit for Saint Joseph's.

"Instead of BC, get a team that everyone can relate to, like an Army or a Navy…a team that can be well-liked by anyone," said Rob Mitchell, '06. "Every year you have the Army/Navy game in Philly. That would be a huge deal and I think St. Joe's would love it."

The program is still in its infancy, but if the initiative goes through successfully, Saint Joseph's University will once again have a football team to call its own this fall.