Northeastern University entered the 2003 season ranked No. 1 in the nation in what was then Division 1-AA. A few weeks into the season, the school wasn’t ranked at anymore. It’s been a steady stream downhill ever since.
In an unsurprising move that’s no less depressing for students and alumni, Northeastern University is cutting its Division 1 football program.
In a statement, Athletic Director Peter P. Roby said he made the call.
“We do not define success merely through wins and losses,” Roby said. “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.”
Administration officials have said since 2007 that cutting football was on the table for Northeastern, which has been moving away from athletics for several years as its academic standing grows.
Northeastern football competed its 74th season with a 33-27 win on Saturday at The University of Rhode Island, capping a 3-8 season.
The college’s 63 football scholarship athletes have been told they are guaranteed their scholarships until graduation, though Roby admitted he made sure the athletes knew about the decision as soon as possible so that they had the “most time possible to make decisions about their future.”
P. Roby is a spineless bum with his own agenda. Freeland set us on this absurd path when he forced out Brown and hired that bum Hager. I am sure the recommendation to end the football program would have nothing to do with the fact that Roby would like that money for his basketball program. You can put $10M into the arena, but can’t put up a stadium on campus. Really?? You reap what you sow, and when you sow a has-been Div II coach from the 80’s you reap a losing program. Freeland knew that. Roby knew that. They got their way.