Give Boston College athletics a makeover next year

I’ve always prided myself on trying to take the long view when I write about Boston College athletics; Boston College Magazine called me BCI’s “philosopher and, when necessary, sheriff,” and it’s something I take seriously - I try not to get too bogged down in the day-to-day.

To that effect, I’ve tried my best to present the full picture: the good and the bad. That’s why I haven’t let the struggles of the football and basketball teams prevent taking note of some of the other accomplishments of BC teams outside those two.

But as BC football and basketball’s struggles have gone from short-term to medium-term, and as the way out of the abyss looks more and more harrowing, I can’t help but feel like the brand has been irreparably damaged. With both football and basketball mounting simultaneous Friday night disasters, it put a spotlight on a painful fact for all BC alums and fans: the program has become little more than a running joke in the national conversation.

We all know it doesn’t have to be this way. BC game painfully close to ACC championships in football and basketball in its first three seasons in the conference, and was comfortably somewhere in the middle of the ACC in overall wins in football and basketball since joining as of a few years ago.

But it’s getting to the point where the brand is so damaged, we’re no longer “the right coach” away from getting back to some semblance of contending. It’s been a long time since a student applied to BC or was recruited to one of these programs with any sort of memory of BC being any good at football or basketball.

BCI takes no official position on what administrative changes should come next for BC, aside from calling for Steve Addazio’s ouster as soon as possible.

But I think whatever comes next - and most people feel like there’s almost definitely going to be new administration in charge next year - a major rebranding effort is in order.

I’m serious here: change everything.

Let’s get out of the Under Armour deal. Rumor has it Under Armour’s shoes aren’t preferred among basketball recruits anyway.

Change the color scheme. We’ve used 25 different maroons and 14 different golds anyway. Let’s pick entirely different, brighter ones.

Change the logo. The slanted BC with the Eagle has outlived its useful life anyway, and the font used for “Boston College” on jerseys? Switch it up.

Dedicate Alumni Stadium in someone’s name. Doug Flutie? Tip O’Neill? Amy Poehler? Jeff Jagodzinski (kidding)?

Paint the seats maroon and gold.

Move the student section and the band to the other side of the stadium.

Tarp off the upper deck at basketball games.

Change all the music. Change everything about the game day presentation.

When changes take place in the next few years, there needs to be a top-to-bottom rebrand of this program: the way it looks, the tone with which it speaks, and the way it is presented. Ultimately, the only thing that will bring back fans and erase the stench of this era is winning, but this is the point in a corporate entity’s life where they would change their name and their approach. BC should try to do the next best thing.