: ''For information on all Boston University sports, see Boston University Terriers'' 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. The team competed in

NCAA Division I-AA The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...

from its formation in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, as members of the Yankee Conference and later the

Atlantic 10 Conference The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The A-10's member schools are located in states mostly on the United States Eastern ...

. 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 This is a list of post-secondary colleges and universities that have club football teams. Operating independently of their colleges' athletics programs, these teams are typically administered, coached, and played by students. In addition to playi ...

squad in the modern Yankee Conference.

Notable former players

Notable alumni include: * Harry Agganis: Quarterback; Boston Red Sox player; namesake of the Agganis Arena * Bill Brooks: Wide Receiver,

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

1986–92,

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

1993–95, Washington Redskins 1996 *

Butch Byrd George Edward "Butch" Byrd (born September 20, 1941) is a former professional American football defensive back. He started his career playing college football at Boston University. He joined the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and immediately made an imp ...

: Running Back and Pass Receiver,

Defensive Back 1964–1970, Denver Broncos 1971 * Dick Farley: Defensive Back,

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

1968–69; Hall of Fame coach, Williams College *

Darvell Huffman Darvell Huffman (born May 5, 1967) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Boston University and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1990 NFL D ...

: Wide Receiver,

1990–91 * Pat Hughes: Linebacker,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

1970–76, New Orleans Saints 1977–79 * Jim "Crash" Jensen: Quarterback, Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins 1981–92 * Kevin Murphy: Arena Football League player *

Gene Prebola Eugene Nicholas Prebola (June 30, 1938 – December 10, 2021) was an American football tight end who played four seasons in the American Football League (AFL) with the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the ...

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

player * Reggie Rucker: Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys 1969–71,

1971,

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

1971–74, Cleveland Browns 1975–81 * Bruce Taylor: Defensive Back, San Francisco 49ers 1970–77

Championships

† denotes co-championship.

Division I-AA Playoffs results

The Terriers appeared in the I-AA playoffs five times with a record of 2–5.

Bowl games

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.

References

1884 establishments {{cite news , last1=Moran , first1=Malcolm , title=COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Banned in Boston: One Football Team; At B.U., a Century of Pigskin History Is Coming to a Sudden, and Painful, End , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/02/sports/college-football-banned-boston-one-football-team-bu-century-pigskin-history.html , access-date=23 June 2022 , work=New York Timesin Massachusetts 1997 disestablishments in Massachusetts American football teams established in 1884 American football teams disestablished in 1997