| Teamname: | Boston University Terriers football |
| Stadium: | Nickerson Field |
| Stadcapacity: | 10,412 |
| Stadsurface: | FieldTurf |
| Ncaadivision: | I-AA |
| Conference: | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Firstyear: | 1884; [1] [2] |
| Lastyear: | 1997 |
| Atwins: | 323 |
| Atlosses: | 390 |
| Atties: | 34 |
| Bowlwins: | 0 |
| Bowllosses: | 1 |
| Conftitles: | 5 (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993) |
| Fightsong: | GO B.U. |
| Mascotdisplay: | Rhett the Boston Terrier |
| Rivalries: | Boston College Eagles Holy Cross Crusaders UMass Minutemen Northeastern Huskies |
The Boston University Terriers football team was the American football team for Boston University located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school's first football team was fielded in 1884, and the program was discontinued in 1997. The Terriers football team compiled an all-time record of 323–390–34.[3] The team competed in NCAA Division I-AA from its formation in 1978, as members of the Yankee Conference and later the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Boston University terminated the varsity football program on homecoming weekend in 1997, during a one-win season in the Atlantic 10. Players were allowed to keep their four-year scholarships or transfer without NCAA penalties. At the time of its termination the program ran at an annual loss of $2.91 million. Boston University has used the former football scholarships to comply with Title IX requirements. Boston University still fields a club football squad in the modern Yankee Conference.
Notable alumni include:
Quarterback; Boston Red Sox player; namesake of the Agganis Arena
Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts 1986–92, Buffalo Bills 1993–95, Washington Redskins 1996
Running Back and Pass Receiver, Buffalo Bills Defensive Back 1964–1970, Denver Broncos 1971
Defensive Back, San Diego Chargers 1968–69; Hall of Fame coach, Williams College
Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts 1990–91
Linebacker, New York Giants 1970–76, New Orleans Saints 1977–79
Quarterback, Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins 1981–92
Arena Football League player
American Football League player
Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys 1969–71, New York Giants 1971, New England Patriots 1971–74, Cleveland Browns 1975–81
Defensive Back, San Francisco 49ers 1970–77
| 9–2 | 5-0 | |||
| 1982† | 5–6 | 3-2 | ||
| 1983† | 9–4 | 4-1 | ||
| 1984† | 9–3 | 4-1 | ||
| 12–1 | 8-0 | |||
| Total conference championships | 5 | |||
† denotes co-championship.
The Terriers appeared in the I-AA playoffs five times with a record of 2–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Colgate | L 7–21 | ||
| First Round Quarterfinals | Eastern Kentucky Furman | W 24–20 L 16–35 | ||
| First Round | Richmond | L 33–35 | ||
| First Round Quarterfinals | Northern Iowa Idaho | W 27–21 2OT L 14–21 | ||
| First Round | Eastern Kentucky | L 23–30 |
The Terriers had a record of 0–1 in bowl games. Boston University appeared in one bowl game during their tenure. As a member of the College Division, they played against a member of the University Division in the Pasadena Bowl.
| December 6, 1969 | San Diego State | L 7–28 |