Opportunity Knocks: Red Sox In Talks To Host More Hockey, College Football?

by Brian Favat on Apr 6, 2011 4:49 PM EDT in Boston College Football

Sounds like the Boston Red Sox are looking to turn Fenway Park into a hockey rink again this winter. And maybe host a college football game, too?

"It's unlikely the NHL would come back to Fenway so soon, but Red Sox chief operating officer Sam Kennedy told Menino on Wednesday that the team would like to have college hockey games. The mayor was enthusiastic in his support.

Kennedy said the team was also exploring the possibility of a college football game."

So where can I sign BC up for both of these events?

Now while the rest of Hockey East will probably complain, Boston College vs. Boston University is the ideal matchup for Fenway Park. Frozen Fenway was a great event and a repeat performance would certainly be good for both programs and the sport of college hockey. Maybe Fenway Park could host a Hockey East doubleheader and include other local programs like Northeastern, UMass, UMass Lowell or Merrimack.

Why not think bigger? How about moving the Beanpot Tournament cross-town from the Garden to Fenway Park one year?

The more interesting proposition, of course, is the thought of the Red Sox hosting a college football game at Fenway Park. Staging a college football game at America's Most Beloved Ballpark that doesn't include Boston College would be a really, really bad thing for the program. It certainly wouldn't be good if another local college football team played at Fenway instead of BC. More broadly, it just seems like it would be a huge missed opportunity, especially considering Boston College's ties to the Fenway Sports Group.

If BC were to move one of its home games to Fenway Park, which game would they choose? This year's home schedule doesn't provide many viable options, but next year's home slate could give BC a few options. The Eagles host Army, Notre Dame, Maine, Maryland, Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech in 2012. A Boston College-Army or Boston College-Notre Dame matchup at Fenway would be perfect. So, too, would be any of BC's four home games against ACC opponents -- particularly our games against Clemson, Miami or Virginia Tech.

What say you? Thoughts on staging BC hockey or football games at Fenway?

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I’d go to a BC hockey game at Fenway. I mean, I go to all of them anyways, but that’d even more awesome.

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by Conrad Kaczmarek on Apr 6, 2011 4:53 PM EDT reply actions

Yes please!

would love either or both!

by Phil J Kowalski on Apr 6, 2011 5:11 PM EDT reply actions

Football

If we played football there I think It’d be almost best to have it be one of our OOC games- Army, Maine, ND. I dont think its worth risking an ACC game in unfamiliar territory.

by Taylor Wishman on Apr 6, 2011 5:33 PM EDT reply actions

Maine is out if you want to sell any tickets …

Northwestern played Illinois in a Big Ten game at Wrigley last year, but NU got smacked around. There’s obviously a risk that you look bad in your own city, but might be a risk worth taking against a Miami or Virginia Tech (Coastal teams).

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by Brian Favat on Apr 6, 2011 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Awesome

Notre Dame v BC or BU v BC ill take either of those any day of the week at fenway

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by TheSpecialOne on Apr 6, 2011 5:36 PM EDT reply actions

What?

Why does anyone think a football game is a good idea at Fenway? Assuming a field fits without the absurdity of playing only in one direction (was that in Chicago?), why do we want a BC game played in a stadium 25% smaller than Alumni that also would have very crappy sight-lines from most of the seats?

I heard the hockey sight-lines were terrible too – friends of mine that went said they wouldn’t do it again.

by CSOM_97 on Apr 6, 2011 5:38 PM EDT reply actions

Dead center field ...

I couldn’t seen anything at Frozen Fenway, and had to watch the Jumbotron to follow the game. Still had a great time.

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on Apr 6, 2011 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

It's a good point about attendance ...

But then again, it’s not like BC is selling out Alumni Stadium on Saturdays. We haven’t had a non-Notre Dame, non-Miami sellout in 4 full seasons.

Here is BC’s average home attendance figures last 5 years (all 7 games / season):

2010: 38,369
2009: 35,716
2008: 41,037
2007: 41,990
2006: 38,843

Fenway’s capacity of 37,402 isn’t that far off the mark. The hit we’d take on attendance could be made up with higher ticket prices.

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on Apr 6, 2011 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions

plus it would at least get people talking about the program…i don’t see how this could be a bad thing.

by BCBro on Apr 7, 2011 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m all for having the ACC baseball tournament there. It is a special place to watch a game. I just don’t get the attraction of being there to watch a sporting event you can’t really watch.

If I want to go to Fenway, I’ll go see the Sox. Also, they do free tours.

by CSOM_97 on Apr 6, 2011 5:45 PM EDT reply actions

Seconded

But Fenway already got screwed on this once, and it seems like every single ACC championship takes place in North Carolina.

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on Apr 6, 2011 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Did you go to the hockey game?

Have you seen where the football field would be placed?

Otherwise, don’t comment. I went to the hockey game could see everything and had a fantastic time even though it was ridiculously cold.

by totheights on Apr 6, 2011 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions

like Brian, i went to the hockey game, severely overpaid for tickets, couldn’t see sh*t but also had a blast. would do it again in a second and as previously indicated i’m not the biggest hockey fan in the world. all around good time.

by BCBro on Apr 7, 2011 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Fenway is an amazing venue, having the ACC baseball tournament would be very special

They tour they give at Fenway is excellent, I’ve done it twice, tons of neat history but is is not free. Don’t remember what I paid but it was well worth it. I really wish I could get a sausage sandwich and a Boston Beer Works brew right now!

by NationWideNole on Apr 7, 2011 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Negative impact?

While Fenway might not be the greatest venue to watch either a hockey or a football game, BC seems a bit “damned if they do, damned if they don’t …”

If the Red Sox want to host more college hockey and a college football game, these events will happen. If BC doesn’t want to play in the game, plenty of other programs would line up to play in Fenway. The thought of any two of these programs playing a college football game at Fenway that doesn’t include BC makes my stomach turn: Notre Dame, Army, Navy, Syracuse, UConn …

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on Apr 7, 2011 9:36 AM EDT reply actions

Because you know Notre Dame will whore themselves out to play in any neutral site venue they are able to …

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on Apr 7, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Wouldn’t BC-UMass be the ideal football game? Obviously you can’t do it this year, but in a couple of years when UMass comes back around on the annual carousel of “good for NE games”, it would be perfect.

Easy win for BC.
Exposure for both.
Tickets sold.

by EagleDave on Apr 7, 2011 9:53 AM EDT reply actions

BC-UMass

Would be great if this game is timed with a UMass jump to Division I-A and the MAC.

BC Interruption, SBN's Boston College Eagles blog

by Brian Favat on Apr 7, 2011 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Parents Weekend at Fenway

maybe we could have the pops play at halftime?

yawn. gotta be ND. we have to at least attempt to garner some national attention, no?

by BCBro on Apr 7, 2011 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

Be careful what you wish for....

I’m not totally convinced a BC home game vs ND at Fenway would indeed be a “home” game for us. Yeah, we’d wear the dark unis (please, no Red-Sox themed jerseys like hockey, those things were hideous), but all of the subway domers would be all over this thing. BC didn’t have the biggest of cheering sections for the hockey game, imagine what the appeal of an ND game at Fenway would bring out of the woodwork.

by JPDot on Apr 7, 2011 11:16 AM EDT reply actions

(we played BU in the Fenway area).

besides, it will be no more ND-heavy than a game at alumni brah.

by BCBro on Apr 7, 2011 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

plus isn’t some of the fun of an event like this rubbing elbows with the opponent’s fans? it’s not like there’s signal-deafening noise in alumni.

by BCBro on Apr 7, 2011 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

only reason...

maine would be out is bc its prob parents weekend. if not, the fact that its in fenway will still sell tickets to be able to see it. Army could be cool bc in 2013 we play them in yankee stadium. kind of a AL East showdown…

I just dont like doing something not comfortable for an important game. ITs going to sell out, so no reason to waste the $ you’d make on ND.

by Taylor Wishman on Apr 7, 2011 11:26 AM EDT reply actions

are you kidding me?!??! you wanna roll out the red carpet for some DI-AA scrubs? I was pumped up for the hockey game at fenway for about 4 months. I really could care less about a football game there if we’re playing someone sh*tty. look, as others have pointed out, it’s not comfortable, there’s no tailgating and you won’t have a good view of the game (ok I added some of those). plus ticket prices will be jacked up. at least make it an anticipated game.

by BCBro on Apr 7, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions