Northeastern drops football program after 74 years

BOSTON -- Northeastern University has decided to discontinue the school’s football program, effective immediately.

Athletic Director Peter Roby told the team of the decision Sunday night, a day after Northeastern won its final game 33-27 at Rhode Island. The Huskies won their final two games to finish 3-8, their sixth consecutive losing season.

"It came as a big shock. I feel awful for those guys, especially the kids who have been here for four years, and the freshman too. They just came in. They thought that they'd have a long career here," said senior football player Matthew Allain.

The athletic department said a review over the last two years showed the football team was not performing as well as the school had hoped. Despite the sudden end to the program, the school will honor team members' athletic scholarships.

"I'm actually on the track team, and the guys don't have a lot of funding. So, I guess it's like a positive and a negative thing," said a female student-athlete.

School officials released a statement on the school's website: "Ultimately it was determined that elevating and sustaining a competitive Division 1 football program would require additional multi-million dollar investments on an ongoing basis."

Northeastern had football at the school for 74 years and had an all-time record of 289-364-17.

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