N'Eastern AD: Football "Here To Stay"

[CSN-info]

A “vote of confidence” from Northeastern’s Athletic Director for the Huskies’ football program - sort of.

AD tells alumni football to stay
Ricky Thompson
Issue date: 1/7/08 Section: News

Then Peter Roby said, “Let there be football,” and there was football.

That’s the gist of a message from an alumni group whose members met with the Northeastern athletics director Dec. 20 to discuss the fate of the program.

Roby, in a meeting with representatives from the “Friends of Northeastern Athletics” alumni group, reportedly said that if he were asked about the future of the sport by a prospective recruit, he would say, “There is no reason to believe they would not be playing Northeastern football four years from now,” according to a recent newsletter distributed by the alumni group.


http://www.ChampionshipSubdivisionNews.com/index.php/2008/01/07/n_eastern_ad_football_here_to_stay

[MplsBison]

“There is no reason to believe they would not be playing Northeastern football four years from now,”


Other than, you know, money.

[Mandan_Herd_Fan]

Glad to see Rocky Hager (former Bison coach) still has a future.

[Cobblestone]

ALRIGHT! Congrats to the Northeastern AGS members!

Hope this holds true.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

ALRIGHT! Congrats to the Northeastern AGS members!

Hope this holds true.

I'll second both of those!!!

The Husky Alum Tailgate Lives!!!! xbowx xbowx xbowx xbowx xbowx

[Green Cookie Monster]

Shouldn't the school president be saying that statement? The AD has very limited control of university money and overall funding.

[danefan]

Shouldn't the school president be saying that statement? The AD has very limited control of university money and overall funding.

Yes and no. Depends on whether the AD is just an AD or whether he's also a Vice President. At Albany, the AD is not just an AD. He is also the Vice President of Athletic Affairs, which gives him increased power in budgeting and spendings, etc....

Which helps, because we haven't had a President in over a year. xsmhx

[Go...gate]

Good news.

[ButlerGSU]

Good. They have a trip to Statesboro soon...

[citdog]

Good. They have a trip to Statesboro soon...

and probably gonna beat GSU AGAIN!

[WrenFGun]

Glad to hear. Congratulations to all NU members. I thought they were knocking on the playoff door before last season, and they've been a royal pain to UNH two years running.

[colorless raider]

Glad to hear it, see you in a few years.

[ButlerGSU]

and probably gonna beat GSU AGAIN!

Check your facts old timer xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[rfeng]

I have been watching NE for years and am still waiting for them to resolve their stadium issue. Unless they make a commitment to their stadium issue, buy the houses around the stadium or come up with another solution, I don't see how they are going to have a successful program. They may be supplanted by Bryant in a few years.

[Seawolf97]

Good news for the Huskies and the CAA!

[Dane96]

I have been watching NE for years and am still waiting for them to resolve their stadium issue. Unless they make a commitment to their stadium issue, buy the houses around the stadium or come up with another solution, I don't see how they are going to have a successful program. They may be supplanted by Bryant in a few years.

??????xeyebrowx

[DFW HOYA]

I have been watching NE for years and am still waiting for them to resolve their stadium issue. Unless they make a commitment to their stadium issue, buy the houses around the stadium or come up with another solution, I don't see how they are going to have a successful program. They may be supplanted by Bryant in a few years.

Could they lease Nickerson Field?

[MplsBison]

What about Gillette Stadium?


Sounds far fetched maybe but they already have facilities in Dedham.

[GannonFan]

What about Gillette Stadium?


Sounds far fetched maybe but they already have facilities in Dedham.

Well, Gillette Stadium is still another 20 minutes away from Boston from Dedham, and it's not like a lot of people are making their way out to Dedham from Brookline anyway (Brookline is at least 30 minutes from Foxboro). And then you have to pony up the cash to rent the stadium, which isn't cheap (I think Temple is renting the Linc in Philly for something like $15 to $20 million over a handful of years, and they got a sweetheart deal because they are in the city already). And why rent a facility that would sit 70k for a team that even on the best of days couldn't get more than 5k or so to a game (a game that used to be local and is now a half hour away from campus)?

[Tilldog40]

NU has had winning teams at parsons. They won the A-10 and went to the playoffs there. Every NU fan wants a new place to play but we are happy that we are gonna be playing football. The stadium conversation comes up every year. I'll take a new coach over a new stadium now, that way maybe we can win more games. Thanks for the support from other AGS posters.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Could they lease Nickerson Field?

Now that would be something to see!!

1. BU and NU cooperating! xeekx xeekx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

2. Herr Silber needing the rent money to help pay off Agganis Arena bad enough to allow football back on campus! xrotatehx xrotatehx xrotatehx xrotatehx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

3. Herr Silber having a hissy fit (other descriptions would just get ***** and me banned) because football was once again played on his campus.

xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex

[MplsBison]

Well, Gillette Stadium is still another 20 minutes away from Boston from Dedham, and it's not like a lot of people are making their way out to Dedham from Brookline anyway (Brookline is at least 30 minutes from Foxboro). And then you have to pony up the cash to rent the stadium, which isn't cheap (I think Temple is renting the Linc in Philly for something like $15 to $20 million over a handful of years, and they got a sweetheart deal because they are in the city already). And why rent a facility that would sit 70k for a team that even on the best of days couldn't get more than 5k or so to a game (a game that used to be local and is now a half hour away from campus)?

That seems like a lot of money to rent an NFL stadium.


How does Tenn State manage renting LP field?




I agree it seems like a lot of money, but they have to do something different than what they're doing right now. Because playing games at Parsons isn't getting it done financially.

[Tilldog40]

I would jump off of a bridge the minute NU said they would play at Nickerson field. Thats a nightmare. Lets take it one step at a time.

[Henny]

I would jump off of a bridge the minute NU said they would play at Nickerson field. Thats a nightmare. Lets take it one step at a time.


Why not play at Nickerson Till, It's not like their a rival , they dropped the sport years ago and your admin. wont get out of that Jr. High field.

[Husky Alum]

Henny, just because the Hens can't win on that Junior High Field is no reason for NU to play over at BU.

It's our home field advantage and we like it.

Is it perfect, nope.

[GannonFan]

That seems like a lot of money to rent an NFL stadium.


How does Tenn State manage renting LP field?




I agree it seems like a lot of money, but they have to do something different than what they're doing right now. Because playing games at Parsons isn't getting it done financially.

Doesn't Tenn State bring in real big crowds for some games? What are the odds of NU bringing in more than 10k for any game?

Right now, financially speaking, Parson's is fine for NU - it's not like they're selling the place out so why go to an even larger, more expensive facility? NU not drawing fans has little to nothing to do with where they play their home games and has a lot more to do with people's general desire to follow and see that team play. A change in venue won't alter that.

[Marcus Garvey]

I'm still amazed that N'eastern still has football, after years and years of fielding primarily crappy to mediocre teams. Many inner-city colleges with a largely commuter student body (as NU's primarily was until recent years) simply dropped the sport in the 60's and 70's: Buffalo (although they did bring it back 8 years later), Drexel, Detroit, USF, Xavier, etc...

[Umass74]

I would jump off of a bridge the minute NU said they would play at Nickerson field. Thats a nightmare. Lets take it one step at a time.

Didn't BU modify/screwup Nickerson Field? I don't think it's playable for football anymore. xconfusedx xconfusedx xconfusedx

[Seawolf97]

NU has had winning teams at parsons. They won the A-10 and went to the playoffs there. Every NU fan wants a new place to play but we are happy that we are gonna be playing football. The stadium conversation comes up every year. I'll take a new coach over a new stadium now, that way maybe we can win more games. Thanks for the support from other AGS posters.

It's good to know your program will go on. The stadium can always be resolved at a later date. The thing is you will be playing football!xthumbsupx

[GreatAppSt]

"Here To Stay"

xbowx xbowx xbowx xthumbsupx

[Husky Alum]

Didn't BU modify/screwup Nickerson Field? I don't think it's playable for football anymore. xconfusedx xconfusedx xconfusedx

Nope, they got new field turf which isn't striped for football, but they had the NCAA Women's Lax finals there last year and BU plays soccer there as well.

[TheValleyRaider]

Doesn't Tenn State bring in real big crowds for some games? What are the odds of NU bringing in more than 10k for any game?

According to the NCAA, TSU played 4 games in the Coliseum this year, and ranked 8th in the FCS averaging over 16,000 per game, not too shabby for a squad at this level, but actually not so good given their venue of choice. That 16K+ equalled only about 24% capacity

[Marcus Garvey]

Nope, they got new field turf which isn't striped for football, but they had the NCAA Women's Lax finals there last year and BU plays soccer there as well.

I guess that means no more high school football games there. I recall playoff games using Nickerson in '98 and '99 after BU dropped football.

[Tim James]

A few years ago I saw designs/drawings of a new multi purpose football/lacrosse/soccer field that was to be built. I guess it never got past the planning stages.

[Husky Alum]

You can blame the City of Boston for NU not building an on campus facility in the last few years.

The locals are upset that NU is buying every piece of land it can get its hands on for dorms/classrooms/office space/research labs and forcing out the locals. The area on the back side of NU's campus was for the longest time a very bad neighborhood and the area where the bulk of the minorities lived in Boston.

With NU's resurgence as an academic school, and the neighborhoods near NU becoming nicer, safer, and more desirable to live the area on the back side of NU's campus (it's called Lower Roxbury) has neighbors don't want more students - they think that there will be opportunity for retail and "mixed use development" instead of NU buying land - however no one but NU puts competitive bids on the land NU buys.

There's some talk that Bob Kraft wants to build an MLS stadium for the NE Revolution in Boston - and there's a nice spot adjacent to the NU Campus in Lower Roxbury, but Bob Kraft could be more disliked in Boston than Northeastern. When Bob Kraft needed a new stadium for the Pats in the early 1990s he went to an area of Boston called South Boston (it's the Good Will Hunting part of town) and said he wanted to build a retractable roof stadium there. The NFL said "Build it and you get a Super Bowl." The Democrats said "Build it and we'll give you the 2004 Convention. The NCAA said "Build it and you get the 2012 and 2016 Final Four". The Boston Convention Bureau even said they would petition the NCAA for a Bowl Game featuring the Big East.

Southie is very blue collar and irish catholic. Bob Kraft is white collar and jewish. The Southie residents protested against the stadium, and said they'd rather have warehouses and parking lots in Southie than a Stadium as they'd provide "Better" jobs for the locals. The Mayor of Boston needs the Southie voters on his side (he's an italian catholic), or they'll put forth a candidate to run against him - so he sided with the Southie residents and told Kraft "no friggin way" - which led Kraft to go to Hartford, and then back to Foxboro.

The stadium Kraft wants to build for the Revs would be a block from NU's campus and would be across the street from the new Boston Police Dept. Headquarters. NU would likely contribule the $30 million it earmarked for our on campus facility and be co-owners with the Krafts - however the Mayor doesn't want to upset the Lower Roxbury residents, or give anything to NU. I've seen drawings of the stadium - 22,000 seats, single level. NU would likely have the nicest FCS stadium in the east if it ever were to get built.