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Clam chowder meets barbecue - here comes BC to the ACC
The 
Roth Report
Roth Report
October 12, 2003
Talk about culture clash.
Anthony's Pier IV meets the Esso Club.
Here come the Boston College Eagles to the ACC. There's great excitement from the Heights at Chestnut Hill to Greensboro, where the ACC will finally get its 12th team and much-anticipated football championship game.
Euphoria is the feeling some are getting, but for traditionalists in both the Carolinas and in the Northeast, there is no question a major change is about to take place. And it's going to happen very quickly.
Football in the Northeast just took another huge hit, and this one might be harder to take than Penn State's departure 13 years ago. Without a doubt, this will be another major change for those of us who grew up in the Northeast, watching the great Pitt-Penn State games every November, and seeing Boston College and Syracuse battle in the snow every year.
Fans from Bala Cynwood to Erie remember Tony Dorsett sprinting down the sidelines as JoePa watched helplessly. Others recall legendary WVU broadcaster Jack Flemming's call of a sack of BC's Doug Flutie. "They got him. All day long they've been chasing him and they got him." Or the day that Syracuse - in 1984 - finally beat Pitt after all those years. That was something else.
Nobody wants to stand in the way of progress. But college football is as much about tradition as any other sport. The tradition that is Northeastern football is special - or at least was special.
There was a time, not too long ago, that college football in the Northeast was strong. Great teams, All-American players, big crowds, and heated rivalries. The days of Franco Harris, Hugh Green, and, yeah, even Beano Cook. That's what we grew up with, and that's what we'll remember.
When Miami and Virginia Tech announced they were leaving the BIG EAST earlier this summer, it was a blow to the conference, but neither school was a traditional Northeastern power. But on Sunday, when Boston College announced that it would join the Hurricanes and Hokies in a new 12-team ACC, Northeastern football changed forever. No, the Eagles aren't a top-10 team like Tech or Miami, but their departure is the biggest blow to Eastern football since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1990.
But unlike Penn State, Tech or Miami, BC was a charter member of the BIG EAST. Its traditional rivals are all Northeastern schools and the school's administrators were key in the formation of the league in 1978. Their departure from the BIG EAST is a blow to the hearts of many people - particularly those at Syracuse - who were involved when the league was formed and who are now left behind without one of their key rivals and partners.
This is not a eulogy. Eastern football is not dead. It didn't die when Penn State left and they'll continue to play football for another century and beyond on campuses in the Northeast. And BC isn't about to become a Southern school, by any means.
But while Penn State didn't become a Midwestern school the day it joined the Big Ten, it left behind its Eastern brothers and a half-century of memories. Today, there is no Syracuse-Penn State rivalry, or WVU-Penn State rivalry. College football is all about rivalries. And now BC will slowly become just another ex-rival for the other Eastern schools.
Who's to blame?
There will be plenty of finger pointing coming from college presidents, athletics directors and one politically savvy attorney general. Some will cast blame to the ACC, or some specific institutions in that league.
But the bottom line is this: basketball built the BIG EAST. And in the end, the league's commitment to basketball ended Northeastern football as we know it.
Declining Paterno's proposal haunts BIG EAST
The BIG EAST was formed in 1978 as a basketball-only league. In 1980, Joe Paterno, the head football coach and then director of athletics at Penn State, drew together plans to form an all-sports conference of the Eastern Division I-A independent schools. He had the foresight to understand the importance of football when most others didn't. Coach Paterno's proposal was that Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia and Temple should form one all-sports conference. "Although our football fortunes would be well served through such an alignment, it would have been a step backward for men's basketball," Syracuse AD Jake Crouthamel said. To partner with Penn State, both Syracuse and Boston College would have had to leave the BIG EAST. Crouthamel and Bill Flynn, then the director of athletics at Boston College, met with Dave Gavitt, the commissioner of the BIG EAST at that point. The two AD's agreed that the BIG EAST would have a bright future. They declined Paterno's proposal. Penn State then asked for membership in the BIG EAST. As you've read here before, this was they key moment in the league's history, although nobody realized it at the time. Had Penn State been accepted in 1980, Syracuse and BC would then have their football programs aligned with the strongest Northeastern program. Penn State needed six votes to come into the BIG EAST, but the vote tally was just 5-3. While Crouthamel and Flynn supported the Nittany Lions' entry into the league, the other basketball schools were wary of Penn State's weak hoops program and turned down the Nittany Lions. Thus began a pattern and a mindset: basketball first, football second. While the BIG EAST eventually added football, and expanded to include Pitt, WVU, Rutgers, Tech, Temple and Miami, the continuing trend to make policy and membership decisions based on basketball proved fatal. Everything that's happened to the BIG EAST and its member institutions in the past six months can be traced to the league voting down Penn State in 1980. The members at that point didn't want a football league and have been paying the price ever since. As for BC leaving the BIG EAST, you wonder how Flynn would react. Flynn was associated with Boston College athletics for nearly seven decades as an athlete, faculty member, coach, and athletic director. During that time his loyalty, dedication, foresight and integrity were examples of the highest qualities in intercollegiate athletics and he was very tight with Gavitt and Crouthamel. He served as the director of athletics at Boston College from 1957 until 1991 and today, BC's athletic fund raising arm is called "The Flynn Fund." To be honest, BC probably doesn't leave the BIG EAST had Flynn still been in charge. But today's BC program faces different challenges and new obstacles that Flynn never encountered. The Eagles current administration is convinced the ACC is the right move now and they're probably right. And now the thrill of winning the Lambert Trophy? Heck, Army and Navy have a chance again. Eastern football will live, but it won't be the same. They don't pour orange paint on the Nittany Lion statue these days because the SU frat boys are never on campus anymore. They don't make fun of Coach Paterno's high cuffs in Pittsburgh anymore because Pitt students will never get to see him coach against the Panthers. And for some schools, the annual game with BC will just be another memory, too. So here come the Eagles, down from New England to the ACC. Clam chowder and barbecue, eh? That makes an interesting combination. The Voice's Mailbag
Bill,
I know this is looking ahead a bit, but considering the ACC has started to iron out the schedule details for next season, has there been any word on if the ACC has also started to re-evaluate their bowl tie-ins, too? I'm not too familiar with bowl affiliations except those which coincide with the BIG EAST, but I'd imagine the addition of two bowl quality teams that travel well would not only add to the ACC's bargaining position, but also would lead the ACC to expand their affiliations so no bowl eligible teams would be left out in the future. If you've got any info, I'd love to hear it. Thanks, Donald. Donald,
You can be sure the ACC will attempt to secure additional bowl tie-ins for its members. The three new teams have gone to bowls consistently in recent years. I agree, the ACC has much more leverage with various bowls. For this year, the ACC has bowl tie-ins with the Gator Bowl, Tangerine Bowl, Peach Bowl, Continental Tire Bowl and the BCS. Dear Bill,
I've just started following the Hokies after taking in my first football game when they played JMU this season. It was awesome and I'd love to see more games. The only problem is I live in Scotland and would like to know if the games are screened on ESPN over here or if there's somewhere to watch them on the Internet or something. Cheers, Don Don,
There are certain areas in Scotland where you can view the exact same ESPN signal we get here in the states. When the Hokies play on ESPN, you can watch the games live. I would contact your local sport pub and see if they can pick up the ESPN signal. Hey Bill,
Great coverage. We listen to you before and after the game like a sermon on Saturday as we tailgate before and after the games. My question is what do you think the Hokies' biggest weakness at this time is? Every team has one. My personal opinion is they look great on defense, offense, and special teams, but yet have they put together a four-quarter ball game. This seemed to be the biggest problem last year as well. Do you think Tech has what it takes to play four quarters of Hokie football? Thanks. Jason, Blacksburg Jason,
I think the Hokies answered that question in the Syracuse game. When they put together four solid quarters, they're an exceptional football team. Bill,
I was wondering, with the move to the ACC, do you think Tech will appear on TV as often as it appears on TV now? Also, with all the good golf programs in the ACC, do you think Virginia Tech will ever add women's golf? I would like to see that happen. Thanks, Coy. Coy,
We have to see what the new ACC television deal looks like first. I would assume Tech will receive the same amount of exposure, especially if Tech stays in the top 20 as it has over the past five years. Virginia Tech and Miami get most of the ABC and ESPN appearances from the BIG EAST now. Both teams deliver good ratings and exciting football. ACC officials were impressed with Tech's commitment to Title IX and the university will always be committed to women's sports. But right now, there are no plans to add women's golf. Dear Bill,
I'm a sophomore hear at Tech and I have never seen the field painted at Lane Stadium. Recently I saw pictures of the field from a few years ago and it was painted. It looked 10 times better than it does now. With all of the nationally televised games, it would make our field look so much better. They should definitely paint it with the Miami game coming up, the biggest game of the season. Do you know the reason that Virginia Tech doesn't paint the field anymore? Anthony. Dear Anthony,
Since you're just a sophomore here at Tech, we'll go ahead and publish your letter. First, thanks for your interest in the Hokies and for taking the time to write. This question has been submitted so often over the past few years that it's almost a running joke for many people. When Tech changed its playing surface several years ago, Tech's administration was instructed not to paint the new grass so it could grow stronger and develop a healthy root system. The administration and coaching staff grew to like the plain look and that's what we've seen for the past few years. Hi Bill,
Concerning football travel squads, is there an NCAA max, if any? Is there a VT max, if any? Does VT give cheerleaders scholarships? Thanks, Gardner. Gardner,
No, the NCAA does not restrict the size of a travel squad in football, but each conference has its own rules limiting the number of players teams can have on the sidelines. The number is usually 60-70 players, depending on the conference. Cheerleading is not a varsity sport at Tech and the school does not offer scholarships. However, the cheerleaders at Tech are given all the same support from the athletics department as any scholarship athlete, including use of weight rooms, training rooms, academic facilities, medical treatment, uniforms, and the like. Cheerleaders are included in the Athletic Director's honor roll breakfast and the annual all-sports banquet. Dear Bill,
I was wondering if any thought had been given to breaking up the Marching Virginians and having them sit in different parts of the stadium. Imagine how loud Lane Stadium would be if there were 10-20 band members in all sections. It would make life even tougher on the visiting team. This way, everyone in the stadium could hear the band, too. Bonnie, Radford. Dear Bonnie,
I'm not sure you'd have the desired effect if you broke up the band. Believe me, if you were sitting with all the kids playing drums, you wouldn't hear the rest of the band (or anything else for that matter!).
Have a question for Bill? Send it to: hokiehotline@vt.edu
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The BIG EAST was formed in 1978 as a basketball-only league. In 1980, Joe Paterno, the head football coach and then director of athletics at Penn State, drew together plans to form an all-sports conference of the Eastern Division I-A independent schools. He had the foresight to understand the importance of football when most others didn't. Coach Paterno's proposal was that Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia and Temple should form one all-sports conference. "Although our football fortunes would be well served through such an alignment, it would have been a step backward for men's basketball," Syracuse AD Jake Crouthamel said. To partner with Penn State, both Syracuse and Boston College would have had to leave the BIG EAST. Crouthamel and Bill Flynn, then the director of athletics at Boston College, met with Dave Gavitt, the commissioner of the BIG EAST at that point. The two AD's agreed that the BIG EAST would have a bright future. They declined Paterno's proposal. Penn State then asked for membership in the BIG EAST. As you've read here before, this was they key moment in the league's history, although nobody realized it at the time. Had Penn State been accepted in 1980, Syracuse and BC would then have their football programs aligned with the strongest Northeastern program. Penn State needed six votes to come into the BIG EAST, but the vote tally was just 5-3. While Crouthamel and Flynn supported the Nittany Lions' entry into the league, the other basketball schools were wary of Penn State's weak hoops program and turned down the Nittany Lions. Thus began a pattern and a mindset: basketball first, football second. While the BIG EAST eventually added football, and expanded to include Pitt, WVU, Rutgers, Tech, Temple and Miami, the continuing trend to make policy and membership decisions based on basketball proved fatal. Everything that's happened to the BIG EAST and its member institutions in the past six months can be traced to the league voting down Penn State in 1980. The members at that point didn't want a football league and have been paying the price ever since. As for BC leaving the BIG EAST, you wonder how Flynn would react. Flynn was associated with Boston College athletics for nearly seven decades as an athlete, faculty member, coach, and athletic director. During that time his loyalty, dedication, foresight and integrity were examples of the highest qualities in intercollegiate athletics and he was very tight with Gavitt and Crouthamel. He served as the director of athletics at Boston College from 1957 until 1991 and today, BC's athletic fund raising arm is called "The Flynn Fund." To be honest, BC probably doesn't leave the BIG EAST had Flynn still been in charge. But today's BC program faces different challenges and new obstacles that Flynn never encountered. The Eagles current administration is convinced the ACC is the right move now and they're probably right. And now the thrill of winning the Lambert Trophy? Heck, Army and Navy have a chance again. Eastern football will live, but it won't be the same. They don't pour orange paint on the Nittany Lion statue these days because the SU frat boys are never on campus anymore. They don't make fun of Coach Paterno's high cuffs in Pittsburgh anymore because Pitt students will never get to see him coach against the Panthers. And for some schools, the annual game with BC will just be another memory, too. So here come the Eagles, down from New England to the ACC. Clam chowder and barbecue, eh? That makes an interesting combination. The Voice's Mailbag
Bill,
I know this is looking ahead a bit, but considering the ACC has started to iron out the schedule details for next season, has there been any word on if the ACC has also started to re-evaluate their bowl tie-ins, too? I'm not too familiar with bowl affiliations except those which coincide with the BIG EAST, but I'd imagine the addition of two bowl quality teams that travel well would not only add to the ACC's bargaining position, but also would lead the ACC to expand their affiliations so no bowl eligible teams would be left out in the future. If you've got any info, I'd love to hear it. Thanks, Donald. Donald,
You can be sure the ACC will attempt to secure additional bowl tie-ins for its members. The three new teams have gone to bowls consistently in recent years. I agree, the ACC has much more leverage with various bowls. For this year, the ACC has bowl tie-ins with the Gator Bowl, Tangerine Bowl, Peach Bowl, Continental Tire Bowl and the BCS. Dear Bill,
I've just started following the Hokies after taking in my first football game when they played JMU this season. It was awesome and I'd love to see more games. The only problem is I live in Scotland and would like to know if the games are screened on ESPN over here or if there's somewhere to watch them on the Internet or something. Cheers, Don Don,
There are certain areas in Scotland where you can view the exact same ESPN signal we get here in the states. When the Hokies play on ESPN, you can watch the games live. I would contact your local sport pub and see if they can pick up the ESPN signal. Hey Bill,
Great coverage. We listen to you before and after the game like a sermon on Saturday as we tailgate before and after the games. My question is what do you think the Hokies' biggest weakness at this time is? Every team has one. My personal opinion is they look great on defense, offense, and special teams, but yet have they put together a four-quarter ball game. This seemed to be the biggest problem last year as well. Do you think Tech has what it takes to play four quarters of Hokie football? Thanks. Jason, Blacksburg Jason,
I think the Hokies answered that question in the Syracuse game. When they put together four solid quarters, they're an exceptional football team. Bill,
I was wondering, with the move to the ACC, do you think Tech will appear on TV as often as it appears on TV now? Also, with all the good golf programs in the ACC, do you think Virginia Tech will ever add women's golf? I would like to see that happen. Thanks, Coy. Coy,
We have to see what the new ACC television deal looks like first. I would assume Tech will receive the same amount of exposure, especially if Tech stays in the top 20 as it has over the past five years. Virginia Tech and Miami get most of the ABC and ESPN appearances from the BIG EAST now. Both teams deliver good ratings and exciting football. ACC officials were impressed with Tech's commitment to Title IX and the university will always be committed to women's sports. But right now, there are no plans to add women's golf. Dear Bill,
I'm a sophomore hear at Tech and I have never seen the field painted at Lane Stadium. Recently I saw pictures of the field from a few years ago and it was painted. It looked 10 times better than it does now. With all of the nationally televised games, it would make our field look so much better. They should definitely paint it with the Miami game coming up, the biggest game of the season. Do you know the reason that Virginia Tech doesn't paint the field anymore? Anthony. Dear Anthony,
Since you're just a sophomore here at Tech, we'll go ahead and publish your letter. First, thanks for your interest in the Hokies and for taking the time to write. This question has been submitted so often over the past few years that it's almost a running joke for many people. When Tech changed its playing surface several years ago, Tech's administration was instructed not to paint the new grass so it could grow stronger and develop a healthy root system. The administration and coaching staff grew to like the plain look and that's what we've seen for the past few years. Hi Bill,
Concerning football travel squads, is there an NCAA max, if any? Is there a VT max, if any? Does VT give cheerleaders scholarships? Thanks, Gardner. Gardner,
No, the NCAA does not restrict the size of a travel squad in football, but each conference has its own rules limiting the number of players teams can have on the sidelines. The number is usually 60-70 players, depending on the conference. Cheerleading is not a varsity sport at Tech and the school does not offer scholarships. However, the cheerleaders at Tech are given all the same support from the athletics department as any scholarship athlete, including use of weight rooms, training rooms, academic facilities, medical treatment, uniforms, and the like. Cheerleaders are included in the Athletic Director's honor roll breakfast and the annual all-sports banquet. Dear Bill,
I was wondering if any thought had been given to breaking up the Marching Virginians and having them sit in different parts of the stadium. Imagine how loud Lane Stadium would be if there were 10-20 band members in all sections. It would make life even tougher on the visiting team. This way, everyone in the stadium could hear the band, too. Bonnie, Radford. Dear Bonnie,
I'm not sure you'd have the desired effect if you broke up the band. Believe me, if you were sitting with all the kids playing drums, you wouldn't hear the rest of the band (or anything else for that matter!).
