| Boston College Eagles football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1893; 132 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Blake James | ||
| Head coach | Bill O'Brien 2nd season, 8–15 (.348) | ||
| Stadium | Alumni Stadium (capacity: 44,500) | ||
| Location | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | ACC | ||
| All-time record | 698–535–37[1] (.564) | ||
| Bowl record | 15–13 (.536) | ||
| Claimed national titles | |||
| 1940 | |||
| Conference titles | |||
| Big East:2004 | |||
| Conference division titles | |||
| ACC Atlantic:2005,2007,2008 | |||
| Heisman winners | Doug Flutie – 1984 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 13 | ||
| Rivalries | Clemson (rivalry) Holy Cross (rivalry) Notre Dame (rivalry) UMass (rivalry) Virginia Tech (rivalry) Syracuse | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors | Maroon and gold[2] | ||
| Fight song | "For Boston" | ||
| Mascot | Baldwin the Eagle | ||
| Marching band | "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band | ||
| Outfitter | New Balance | ||
| Nickname | Eagles | ||
| Website | bceagles.com | ||
TheBoston College Eagles football team representsBoston College in the sport ofAmerican football. The Eagles compete in theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Eagles home games are played atAlumni Stadium on the university's campus inChestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Formed in 1892, Boston College has won fourEastern championships[3][4] in 1940, 1942, 1983, and 1984 when most Division I FBS schools in theNortheast andMid-Atlantic regions remainedindependent, and one co–Big East championship in 2004.[5] BC claims one national championship in 1940, though the NCAA doesn't recognize it. The program has amassed over 700 wins,[6] and has a 15–13 record in postseasonbowl games, most notably the1941 Sugar Bowl and1985 Cotton Bowl.[7][8] Boston College has produced aHeisman Trophy winner (Doug Flutie in 1984), 13 consensusAll-Americans, andover 200NFL players.[9] Boston College has had eight members inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame,[10] and two inductees into thePro Football Hall of Fame:Art Donovan andErnie Stautner.[11]
Boston College is one of only twoCatholic universities that field a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the other beingNotre Dame. In addition to success on the gridiron, Boston College football teams are consistently ranked among the nation's best for academic achievement[12] and graduation.[13] In 2005, 2006, and 2007, the football team'sAcademic Progress Rate was the highest of any school that finished the season ranked in theAP orESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls.
Boston College is the only FBS school inNew England (as well asMassachusetts) to compete in one of thePower Four conferences. The Eagles are currently coached byBill O'Brien, who formerly served as head coach forPenn State and as offensive coordinator atAlabama as well as the NFL'sNew England Patriots.
In 1892, Boston College President Edward Ignatius Devitt,S.J., grudgingly agreed to the requests of two undergraduates,Joseph F. O'Connell of the class of 1893 andJoseph Drum of the class of 1894, to start avarsity football team.[14] Drum would become the first headcoach, albeit an unpaid position and O'Connell wascaptain. On October 26, 1893, BC played its first official game against the St. John's Literary Institute of Cambridge followed by its first intercollegiate game againstMIT.[14] BC won the first game 4–0, but lost 6–0 to MIT.[15] Some of the original team's alumni had particularly significant careers:Joseph F. O'Connell was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts, and running back James Carlin became president of theCollege of the Holy Cross.
In 1920, the Boston College football team adopted the nickname 'Eagles.' The season was capped by a stirring 14–0 victory over Holy Cross before 40,000 fans at Braves Field. The win gave the team a perfect 8–0 season and the school's first undefeated season.[16] Eagles coachFrank Cavanaugh, coach from 1919 through 1926, was later inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame coachGil Dobie was Boston College head coach from 1936 through 1938.
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The 1939 Boston College team, led by first-year head coachFrank Leahy, finished the regular season with a 9–1 record, and the Eagles were ranked in the finalAP Poll for the first time in school history, at No. 11. They were invited to the school's firstbowl game, the1940 Cotton Bowl Classic inDallas, where they lost toClemson, 3–6.
The 1940 season can arguably be called the greatest year in the history of Boston College football. BC finished the regular season at 10–0 and then captured the1941 Sugar Bowl championship, earning the nickname "Team of Destiny".[17][18] A 19–18 victory over No. 9Georgetown, played before 41,700 fans at sold-outFenway Park in mid-November, was called one of the greatest games ever by famed sportswriterGrantland Rice.[19] Going into the game, the Hoyas had 22 consecutive victories spanning three seasons. BC trailed until the third quarter, when a 43-yard touchdown pass fromCharlie O'Rourke to Monk Maznicki put the Eagles ahead. With just seconds remaining, BC had the ball on their own nine, fourth down and 18 to go. Georgetown set up to return the Eagles' punt. Instead of punting, O'Rourke scrambled in his own end zone for 45 seconds then took asafety. BC used thefree kick to boot the ball far downfield and dashed the Hoyas' three-season unbeaten record.
Coach Leahy, who would later cement his legendary status during an eleven-year stint as head coach atNotre Dame, took his undefeated Eagles on to theSugar Bowl inNew Orleans where they beat No. 4Tennessee, 19–13. Tied 13–13 in the fourth quarter, Tennessee'sBob Foxx missed a short field goal attempt with three minutes remaining, and Boston College took over on its own 20–yard line. QuarterbackCharlie O'Rourke led the Eagles on an eighty-yard drive, capped with his 24-yard touchdown run to seal the victory.[20]
Five members of the storied 1940 team have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame: receiverGene Goodreault (50); guardGeorge Kerr (47); centerChet Gladchuk (45); fullbackMike Holovak (12); and halfback / quarterbackCharlie O'Rourke (13). Due toracial segregation policies of the era, halfbackLou Montgomery, the first Black athlete in the history of Boston College, was forced to sit out both the 1940 Cotton Bowl and the 1941 Sugar Bowl.[21]
A banner on the BC campus commemorating the 1940 team uses the phrase "national champions". However, Boston College was not awarded a national championship in any of the contemporary1940 college football rankings, which concluded in early December, before the season's bowl games. Although BC's claim to a title is not recognized by the NCAA or college football historians in general, theCollege Football Data Warehouse website claims that two selectors (Cliff Morgan and Ray Bryne) rated BC at No. 1 for the 1940 season.[22] The website states that BC's historic run resulted in a split championship withMinnesota, but it's not clear whether the selectors awarded BC a title contemporarily or retroactively.[23] TheNCAA lists onlyMinnesota (ranked at No. 1 in the finalAP Poll of early December) as the national champion for 1940, and does not credit Boston College with anynational championships in football.[24]
In 1941,Denny Myers was hired as head coach after Leahy left to become head coach at rival Notre Dame.
In 1942, Boston College won its first 8 games of the season, climbing to No. 1 in theAP Poll. All the Eagles needed to do to secure its first everAP national championship was to beatrival Holy Cross (4–4–1) in the final game of the regular season. The result, however, was a stunning rout loss, 12–55. The Eagles team canceled their planned post-game celebration at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, which inadvertently saved the team from perishing along with 492 others in theCocoanut Grove fire that occurred that night.[25] Finishing No. 8 in the final AP rankings, the Eagles received an invitation to play in theOrange Bowl on New Year's Day. All-American fullbackMike Holovak scored three rushing touchdowns, but Boston College ultimately lost to No. 10Alabama, 21–37.
Mike Holovak was named head coach of BC in 1951.[26] During his tenure as head coach, the Eagles compiled a 49–29–3 record. Holovak won Coach of the Year honors in 1954 from New England football writers. Those efforts were good enough to earn him a new four-year contract on November 22, 1955, but even after four more winning seasons - he was fired on December 3, 1959, after a year in which Eagle fans had subjected him to constant verbal abuse.[27] Holovak would move on to coach theBoston Patriots in the upstartAmerican Football League (AFL) from 1961 to 1968.
Ernie Hefferle, an assistant coach for theNFL'sWashington Redskins, was hired as head coach of the Eagles following Holovak's firing. Hefferle's Eagles compiled a record of 7–12–1 in two seasons.[28] However, mounting pressure to win from the alumni and administration led to Hefferle's resignation after the 1961 season.[29]
BC hiredJim Miller away fromDetroit as its head coach in January 1962.[30] Under Miller, the Eagles compiled a record of 34–24 that included four winning seasons in those six years.[31] Miller resigned after the 1967 season.[32]
New Hampshire head coachJoe Yukica was hired to replace Miller at BC.[33] Yukica's Eagles compiled a 68–37 record, which included eight winning seasons.[34] Yukica left BC after the 1977 season to accept the head football coach position atDartmouth.[35] One of the highlights during Yukica 's tenure was an upset win over No. 7Texas to open the 1976 season.[36]
The Eagles hiredEd Chlebek away fromEastern Michigan to lead its football program in January 1978.[37] Despite a dismal 0–11 record in Chlebek's first season, BC rebounded to compile a 5–6 record in 1979 and a 7–4 record in 1980,[38] leading to a job offer fromKent State to Chlebek, which he accepted.[39] Chlebek's final record at BC is 12–21.[38]
Jack Bicknell was hired as BC's head coach after previously serving as head coach atMaine.[40] The best player for the Eagles during Bicknell's tenure was quarterbackDoug Flutie (ofNatick, Massachusetts), who played for Boston College from 1981 to 1984. Flutie won theHeisman Trophy in his senior year. He left school as the NCAA's all-time passing yardage leader with 10,579 yards and was aunanimous All-American. Bicknell's final record at Boston College was 59–55–1, took the Eagles to four bowl games, and won theLambert-Meadowlands Trophy (awarded to the 'Eastern champion' in Division I FBS) twice:1983 and1984.[41] He was fired after the 1990 season.
The Eagles completed the 1984 season with a 10–2 record, finishing at No. 5 in theAP Poll and No. 4 in theCoaches' Poll.[42][43] They defeated theSWC championHouston Cougars in the1985 Cotton Bowl, 45–28.[44][45][46] FullbackSteve Strachan (ofBurlington, Massachusetts) was named the game'sMVP. He had 23 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns.[47] Running backTroy Stradford rushed for 196 yards, and sealed the game with an 18-yard touchdown run with 1:06 left in the fourth quarter as the Eagles clinched their firstmajor bowl victory since the 1941 Sugar Bowl.[48][49]
Boston College began the 1984 season with a 7–2 record, posting victories over No. 9Alabama 38–31 andNorth Carolina 52–20. Heading into theNovember 23, 1984 matchup against defending national champion No. 12Miami (led by star QBBernie Kosar), quarterback Doug Flutie gained national attention when he led the Eagles to victory in a high-scoring, back-and-forth game in theOrange Bowl. The game was nationally televised onCBS the day afterThanksgiving, and had a huge audience. Miami staged a dramatic drive to take the lead, 45–41, in the closing minute of the game. Boston College then took possession at their own 22-yard line with 28 seconds to go. After two passes moved the ball another 30 yards, only six seconds remained on the clock. On the last play of the game, Flutie rolled out right away from the defense and threw aHail Mary pass that was caught in the end zone by senior wide receiverGerard Phelan, giving BC a miraculous 47–45 win.[50] A persistenturban legend holds that this play essentially clinched the Heisman Trophy, the award given to the best player in college football that year, for Flutie; in fact, the Heisman voting was already complete by the day of the game. It has been called "the greatest moment in college football."[51] In November 2008, Doug Flutie was honored by Boston College with a statue of his famous "Hail Mary" pass.[52] The Eagles finished the regular season with a 45–10 victory over rivalHoly Cross.
Tom Coughlin, wide receivers coach for theNFL'sNew York Giants and former BC quarterbacks coach (1981–83), was hired as BC's head coach after Bicknell was fired.[53] Coughlin's Eagles compiled a record of 21–13–1.[54] The highlight of Coughlin's tenure was a 41–39 Eagles victory over No. 1Notre Dame in 1993,[55] the first time the Eagles had ever defeated the Fighting Irish and the first and only time in program history that[56] the Eagles had defeated a No. 1 team. Coughlin, who left BC for theNFL'sJacksonville Jaguars,[57] would go on to become head coach of the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowls:XLII,XLVI (both against theNew England Patriots).
BC hiredDan Henning, formerly offensive coordinator for theNFL'sDetroit Lions, as its head coach in March 1994.[58] Henning's tenure is remembered for a scandal that occurred during the 1996 season. On October 26, 1996, the Eagles were routed 45–17 bySyracuse. Following the game, Henning heard that some players might have bet against their own team. He informed the appropriate university officials. As a result, 13 players were suspended for the rest of the season and six were banned permanently.[59][60] As a result of the scandal and a mediocre 16–19–1 record as coach, Henning resigned at the end of the 1996 season.[61]
In December 1996, BC hiredVirginia offensive coordinatorTom O'Brien.[62] With good recruiting skills and a strong coaching staff around him, notably offensive coordinator Dana Bible and defensive coordinatorFrank Spaziani, O'Brien turned the program into a consistent top-25 team. The team was also helped by increased exposure on the national stage due to the move to theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and, later, improved facilities in the form of theYawkey Center.[63] BC won eight straight postseason bowl games, the first six under O'Brien, between 2000 and 2008.[64]
The 2001 season was a satisfying one for O'Brien as the Eagles finished 8–4 and ranked in the top 25 in both major polls, capped by a 20–16 win overSEC powerhouseGeorgia in theMusic City Bowl. A 21–17 victory overNotre Dame gave the Eagles two wins in three years against their archrivals. Boston College gave eventual national champion (No. 1)Miami by far its biggest scare of the entire season atAlumni Stadium as the Hurricanes were able to pull out a victory only in the final seconds 18–7. Running backWilliam Green rushed for 1,559 yards and was the second-leading rusher in the country and a consensus first-team All-America pick. Green (16th,Cleveland Browns) and offensive tackleMarc Colombo (29th,Chicago Bears) were selected in the first round of theNFL draft, the first time two BC players were picked in the first round.[64]
2004 would be Boston College's final campaign in the Big East, and it finished the season in a four-way tie atop the league after losing the home finale to Syracuse (thus costing the Eagles a coveted berth in aBCS bowl) — a year in which they closed the season ranked No. 21 in both major polls.[65][66]
O'Brien was replaced by thenGreen Bay Packers offensive coordinatorJeff Jagodzinski.[67] He inherited a talent laden BC team, which he led to an 11–3 record, a No. 10 finish in the polls and anACC Atlantic Division Championship. At one point in the season, the Eagles were ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll andBCS standings.[68] Along withSteve Logan, Jagodzinski brought a high flying offensive attack which was very different from Tom O'Brien's short passing game style. He has been nicknamed "Jags" by BC fans and the media. After his first season at BC, Tom O'Brien protegeesMatt Ryan andGosder Cherilus were selected in the first round of the NFL draft. In both 2007 and 2008, the Eagles lost theACC Championship Game toVirginia Tech.
Following the 2008 season, Jagodzinski interviewed for the vacantNew York Jets head coaching job, despite being warned not to do so by athletic directorGene DeFilippo.[69][70] He interviewed for the position, and was fired the next day. He only completed two years of his five-year contract with Boston College. The Jets ultimately hiredRex Ryan.
Defensive coordinatorFrank Spaziani was hired as BC's head coach in January 2009.[71] Prior to the 2009 season, linebacker and reigning ACC Defensive Player of the YearMark Herzlich was diagnosed withEwing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.[72] Herzlich was forced to miss the entirety of the 2009 season.[72] Herzlich became an inspirational figure as he battled his way back, earning theDisney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award, an award presented annually to college football's most inspirational player or team.[72] Boston College created a chapter ofUplifting Athletes to benefit Ewing sarcoma research. The chapter participates in an annual "Lift for Life" (where players compete in various physical challenges) to raise money. On October 3, 2009, Herzlich publicly announced onCollege Gameday that he was cancer-free. Herzlich completed the comeback when he took the field once again on September 4, 2010, againstWeber State.[72]
In 2011, the Eagles finished 4–8 and failed to qualify for a bowl for the first time in 12 years. Following the 2011 season, junior LBLuke Kuechly won theButkus Award,[73] theLombardi Award, theLott Trophy, and theBronko Nagurski Trophy; the first Eagle to win these awards. Spaziani was fired on November 25, 2012, following a season in which Boston College went 2–10, the worst record since 1978.[74]
Spaziani was replaced byTemple head coachSteve Addazio.[75]
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Following a dismal 2–10 season under Spaziani, Addazio made an immediate impact in his first year as head coach. The team improved to 7–6 and secured a bowl appearance in theIndependence Bowl; the program's first since 2010.
The feature component of Addazio's run-heavy offense, senior running backAndre Williams emerged as a standout player and rushed for 2,177 yards on the year. The mark earned him a top-10 spot on the all-time NCAA record list for most rushing yards in a season, and theDoak Walker Award as the best running back in the country. Williams finished 4th place in theHeisman Trophy voting and was also aWalter Camp Award finalist.[76]
Boston College fired Addazio on December 1, 2019, after a 6–6 season and a 44–44 record over 7 seasons.[77] The lone highlight of the 2019 season was running-backA. J. Dillon achieving a school record for career rushing yards at 4,382 in just three seasons.[78][79]
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On December 13, 2019,Jeff Hafley was hired to be the head coach at Boston College.[80] During his four years with the team, Hafley led the Eagles to a 22–26 overall record and three bowl game appearances.[81]
On February 9, 2024, BC hiredAndover, Massachusetts nativeBill O'Brien, who formerly served as offensive coordinator atAlabama as well as the NFL'sNew England Patriots.[82]
Perhaps the best football team in Boston College history, the undefeated 1940 Eagles (11–0) won the1941 Sugar Bowl over previously unbeaten No. 4 Tennessee. The school claims this year as anational championship.[83] However, the team was not chosen by any NCAA-designated "major selectors" of national championships and does not appear in the NCAA records book.[84]
| Year | Coach | Selectors | Record | Bowl | Opponent | Result | Final AP | Final Coaches' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Frank Leahy | Self-claimed | 11–0 | Sugar Bowl | Tennessee | W 19–13 | No. 5 | − |
For much of its history, Boston College played as anindependent, as did the majority of what are now labeled asDivision I FBS football-playing schools located in theNortheast andMid-Atlantic regions. During this time, Eastern Championships were named by independent third-party selectors and awarded of various trophies. The process of picking an Eastern Champion eventually came to be symbolized by theLambert-Meadowlands Trophy awarded by theNew Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority beginning in 1936. As a result, the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, voted on by a panel of sports writers in New York, became thede factoconference championship for those schools.[85]
In 1991, the majority of football independents in the East (including Boston College) aligned themselves together in theBig East Football Conference. The Big East first crowned an official champion in 1993. The Eagles left the Big East and joined theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2005.
| Year | Conference | Trophy | Coach | Overall record | Conference record | Bowl | Final AP | Final Coaches' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Independent | Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy (Eastern championship) | Frank Leahy | 11–0 | – | WSugar | No. 5 | – |
| 1942 | Denny Myers | 8–2 | – | LOrange | No. 8 | – | ||
| 1983 | Jack Bicknell | 9–3 | – | LLiberty | No. 19 | No. 20 | ||
| 1984 | Jack Bicknell | 10–2 | – | WCotton | No. 5 | No. 4 | ||
| 2004† | Big East Conference | Big East Championship Trophy† | Tom O'Brien | 9–3 | 4–2 | WContinental Tire | No. 21 | No. 21 |
† Co-champions
Divisional play began in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the start of the 2005 football season following BC's inclusion in the conference. BC earned a share of the ACC Atlantic Division title in 2005 and in 2008. Florida State represented the division in the inaugural ACC Championship Game by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker in 2005, while BC represented the Atlantic in 2008.
| Game | Division | Coach | Overall record | Conference record | Opponent | CG Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005† | ACC Atlantic | Tom O'Brien | 9–3 | 5–3 | N/A Lost tiebreaker toFlorida State | |
| 2007 | Jeff Jagodzinski | 11–3 | 6–2 | Virginia Tech | L 16–30 | |
| 2008† | 9–5 | 5–3 | Virginia Tech | L 12–30 | ||
† Co-champions
Boston College has been to 27 bowl games, holding a 14–12 record (the2018 First Responder Bowl started but was delayed in the first quarter and ultimately canceled). Additionally, they accepted an invitation to the 2021 Military Bowl, however it was cancelled the day before it was set to be played due to COVID-19 cases in the Boston College program. The Eagles posted an 8-game bowl winning streak from 2000 to 2007 and went to 12 consecutive bowl games from 1999 to 2010. BC's 8-game bowl win streak was the nation's longest active streak before it was snapped in 2008.[86] The 12-year streak was tied withOklahoma for the 6th longest active streak in country.[87] The Eagles recently broke their 5 bowl-game losing streak in 2016 with a 36–30 victory over former ACC foeMaryland.
List of Boston College head coaches.[88]
| Years | Coach | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | Joseph Drum | 3–3 | .500 |
| 1894 | William Nagle | 1–6 | .143 |
| 1895 | Joseph Lawless | 2–4–2 | .250 |
| 1896 | Frank Carney | 5–3 | .625 |
| 1897–1899, 1901 | John Dunlop | 15–17–2 | .441 |
| 1902 | Arthur White | 0–7–1 | .000 |
| 1908 | Joe Reilly &Joe Kenney | 2–4–2 | .250 |
| 1909 | Thomas H. Maguire[89] | 3–4–1 | .375 |
| 1910 | Hub Hart | 0–4–2 | .000 |
| 1911 | Joseph Courtney | 0–7 | .000 |
| 1912–1913 | William Joy | 6–7–2 | .400 |
| 1914–1915 | Stephen Mahoney | 8–8 | .500 |
| 1916–1917 | Charles Brickley | 12–4 | .750 |
| 1918 | Frank Morrissey | 5–2 | .714 |
| 1919–1926 | Frank Cavanaugh | 48–14–5 | .716 |
| 1927 | D. Leo Daley | 4–4 | .500 |
| 1928–1934 | Joe McKenney | 44–18–3 | .677 |
| 1935 | Dinny McNamara /Harry Downes | 3–1 / 3–2 | .667 |
| 1936–1938 | Gil Dobie | 16–6–5 | .593 |
| 1939–1940 | Frank Leahy | 20–2 | .909 |
| 1941–1942 | Denny Myers | 35–27–4 | .530 |
| 1943–1945 | Moody Sarno | 11–7–1 | .579 |
| 1946–1950 | Denny Myers | 35–27–4 | .530 |
| 1951–1959 | Mike Holovak | 49–29–3 | .605 |
| 1960–1961 | Ernie Hefferle | 7–12–1 | .350 |
| 1962–1967 | Jim Miller | 34–24 | .586 |
| 1968–1977 | Joe Yukica | 68–37 | .648 |
| 1978–1980 | Ed Chlebek | 12–21 | .364 |
| 1981–1990 | Jack Bicknell | 59–55–1 | .513 |
| 1991–1993 | Tom Coughlin | 21–13–1 | .600 |
| 1994–1996 | Dan Henning | 16–19–1 | .444 |
| 1997–2006 | Tom O'Brien | 75–45 | .625 |
| 2006 | Frank Spaziani (interim) | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| 2007–2008 | Jeff Jagodzinski | 20–8 | .714 |
| 2009–2012 | Frank Spaziani | 21–29 | .420 |
| 2013–2019 | Steve Addazio | 44–44 | .500 |
| 2019 | Rich Gunnell (interim) | 0–1 | .000 |
| 2020–2023 | Jeff Hafley | 21–26 | .447 |
| 2024–present | Bill O'Brien | 7-6 | .538 |
Since 1957,Alumni Stadium inChestnut Hill, Massachusetts has been the home of the Eagles. Located on BC's lower campus, the stadium has a capacity of 44,500. Prior to 1957, the Eagles played home games at Boston'sFenway Park andBraves Field.[90]
In 2005, the Yawkey Athletics Center was constructed at the north end-zone side of the stadium. The Yawkey Center houses the football offices and weight room. A replica ofDoug Flutie's 1984Heisman Trophy is on display in the BC football museum on the first floor of the center.
The Eagles andClemson Tigers first played each other in theCotton Bowl at the end of the 1939 season, a game won by theTigers. The schools played 11 more times until 1960. When BC joined theACC in 2005, the games between the Eagles and theTigers were especially memorable. Both the 2005 and 2006 games went to overtime and the 2007 game featured late-game heroics fromMatt Ryan in a division-clinching victory.
Starting in 2008, the Boston College Gridiron Club created theO'Rourke-McFadden Trophy to honor the friendly rivalry between the Eagles and theTigers.[91] The trophy is named after BC'sCharlie O'Rourke andClemson'sBanks McFadden, star players of their respective teams when the Eagles andTigers first played in the1940 Cotton Bowl. The MVP of the game receives a replica leather helmet.Montel Harris was named the MVP of the 2010 meeting.
Clemson leads the all-time series 20–9–2 as of the 2021 season.[92]
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Boston College andHoly Cross have a dormant rivalry dating back to 1896, and have met 83 times on the field. The game was an annual home-and-home series until 1986. The Eagles dominated the last two decades of the annual series, winning 17 out of 19 meetings from 1967 to 1986. The rivalry was recently renewed in 2018 as the Eagles handily won a 62–14 victory at Chestnut Hill; a 2020 matchup was scheduled to take place but was canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
In recent years,Notre Dame has become one of BC's football rivals. Today, ND is the only otherCatholicuniversity playingNCAADivision I FBS football. The matchup was dubbed the "Holy War" in 1975, and has acquired a number of other nicknames over the years. The two teams battle for theFrank Leahy Memorial Bowl and theIreland Trophy.
The Eagles and theFighting Irish have met once in the postseason;Notre Dame defeatedBoston College in the 1983Liberty Bowl by a score of 19–18. Boston College will host in 2025, 2030, and 2033, and Notre Dame will host in 2028 and 2035.
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 18–9 as of the 2022 season.
BC andUMass are in-state rivals. The first game played between the two schools took place in 1899 and was played at a neutral location. Boston College won 18–0.[93] At the time, UMass was known as Massachusetts Agricultural College. The relative proximity between the schools encouraged them to schedule additional matches in the subsequent years.
BC and UMass met again inAmherst, Massachusetts in 1901, 1902, and 1912, with UMass winning all three contests before the series was halted.[93] The two universities did not meet again on the football field until 1966, when they began a seventeen-year series in which the teams would play each other in the last week of UMass' football season. UMass was in a lower division than BC during the entirety of the rivalry. As such, Boston College dominated the stretch, winning 15 of the 17 games, routinely blowing out the overmatched Minutemen.
After 22 years, the rivalry was renewed as UMass traveled toChestnut Hill, Massachusetts to play Boston College once again. UMass was yet again outmatched, losing 29–7. The universities agreed to play two more times over the next seven years, and Boston College won both games easily.
In April 2011, UMass announced plans to join theMid-American Conference and move up to theNCAAFootball Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the country. Boston College had been a member of this division for decades, and there was much speculation that the two schools may cultivate a renewal of the rivalry. This was confirmed when it was reported in September, 2011, that they had agreed to play a three-game biannual series beginning in 2014.[94] Two of the games will be played at BC'sAlumni Stadium and the other will be held atGillette Stadium.
Boston College is on an 11-game winning streak vs UMass, dating back to 1979, after beating theMinutemen 45–28 in the 2021 season, and they lead the all-time series 22–5.
Boston College andVillanova have a dormant rivalry. The two Catholic universities met 46 times, and played a home-and-home series from 1945 to 1980 (save 1954), until Villanova disbanded their 1-A program. They last met in 2013 with Villanova as an FCS opponent for the Eagles, with Boston College taking the 24–14 victory at Chestnut Hill.
BC andVirginia Tech first played in 1993 and have played every year since, except for 2004. Now both in the ACC, the two schools play each other every year despite not being in the same division.
The schools played each other twice in the same season in both 2007 and 2008; in both years, the Eagles won the regular season meeting while theHokies won the rematch in theACC Championship Game.
Virginia Tech is famed for its seeming invincibility in Thursday night games atLane Stadium. Since 1994, theHokies are 11–3 at home on Thursday nights. The Eagles delivered 2 of those 3 losses and until 2009 were the only team to beatVirginia Tech atLane Stadium on a Thursday night.[95] The 2007 Thursday night meeting between the Eagles and Hokies was undoubtedly the most exciting game of the rivalry.Matt Ryan led the No. 2 Eagles to an improbable comeback, scoring 2 TDs in the final 2:11 of the game to give BC a 14–10 victory over the No. 8Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 19–11 as of the 2021 season.
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Boston College has had 13 consensus All-Americans.
Doug Flutie (1984), Luke Kuechly (2010), and Andre Williams (2013) were allunanimous selections.
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Two players have been honored withretired numbers by the BC football program.
| Boston College Eagles retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Doug Flutie | QB | 1981–1984 | [96] |
| 68 | Mike Ruth | DL | 1982–1985 | [96] |
The Eagles have honored 11 jerseys in addition to the above noted retired numbers.[96][97] These players' uniform numbers are not considered to be retired, and jersey placards at Alumni Stadium feature each player's name above the BC logo, without any number.
| Boston College Eagles honored jerseys | |||
| Player | Pos. | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Donovan | T | 1946–1949 | |
| Bill Flynn | E | 1936–1938 | |
| Gene Goodreault | E | 1938–1940 | |
| Mike Holovak | FB | 1940–1942 | |
| Luke Kuechly | LB | 2009–2011 | |
| Pete Mitchell | TE | 1991–1994 | |
| Lou Montgomery | HB | 1937–1940 | |
| Charlie O'Rourke | QB | 1938–1940 | |
| Matt Ryan | QB | 2004–2007 | |
| Tony Thurman | CB | 1981–1985 | |
| Luke Urban | E | 1916–1917, 1919–1920 | |
Seven former BC players and three former coaches have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame. Five players from the 1940 "Team of Destiny", as well as the coach, are among the inductees. (Year Inducted)
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Since 2000, the Eagles have had 36 players selected in theNFL draft. Of those picks, 9 were first round selections. BC had consecutive top 10 picks in 2008 and 2009;Matt Ryan was selected 3rd overall by theAtlanta Falcons in2008 andB. J. Raji was selected 9th overall by theGreen Bay Packers in2009.Luke Kuechly has been the most recent Eagle stand-out in the NFL, selected by theCarolina Panthers with the 9th overall pick in the2012 NFL draft.Zay Flowers was the most recent player to be selected in the 1st round, after being chosen by theBaltimore Ravens with the 22nd overall pick in the2023 NFL draft.
The Eagles have a reputation of producing high-quality NFL offensive linemen, earning the school the nickname "O-Line U".[98] Notable alums of O-Line U include:
Announced schedules as of July 31, 2025.[99]
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 | 2034 | 2035 | 2036 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fordham | atCincinnati | UTEP | atBYU | BYU | Maine | Alabama | Notre Dame | atAlabama | atOhio State | Ohio State | |
| atMichigan State | Rutgers | atRutgers | New Hampshire | atUConn | UConn | atUConn | atNotre Dame | ||||
| UConn | Maine | Cincinnati | Army | Notre Dame | |||||||
| Notre Dame | Rhode Island | atNotre Dame |
.The four major bowl games (Rose,Orange,Sugar,Cotton)
