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In an attempt to bring back one of the great rivalries in college sports, the state of Connecticut filed a bill Monday that would require Boston College and Connecticut to once again meet in football on an annual basis.
The bill was filed by Dan Malloy, the current Governor of Connecticut. (Malloy is a Double Eagle and graduate of Boston College).
Put simply, the bill's goal is to have Boston College and Connecticut meet every fall in a regular season game - such as the two New England rivals did every year from 1908 through 1913, 1915, 1927-1928 and 2000 through 2004.
The bill also presents a penalty should the game fail to occur: "Whichever institution refused to participate in the showdown would be forced to recruit college football players exclusively from the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut," per sources.
The rivalry began in 1908, when the Eagles and Huskies played a barnburner of a 0-0 tie, and was rekindled in 2000 when UConn fell up into a BCS AQ conference. After the end of the 2004 season, Boston College left Connecticut and the Big East to become a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Overall, Boston College holds a slight 10-0-2 edge in the series.
Malloy provided a statement to BC Interruption:
"This game is as much a New England tradition as Dunkins, pink Red Sox hats and Foxwoods. The purpose of this bill is to put the 'eyes of New England upon' our two greatest Division I-A college football schools to restore this sacred New England tradition. I think the people of East Hartford and Chestnut Hill want a game, and we're trying to get them one."
If the two sides do agree on a game, look for it to be at least a few years in the future (when both teams can find an open date). Boston College doesn't have a non-conference schedule opening until 2015 at the earliest and more likely 2020 after the Eagles finalize their 8-for-1 with the New Mexico St. Aggies. Also, look for it to be the least highly anticipated regular season game of the season, every season.
* nope, not really