COLUMN ARCHIVE 08/12/04: August Update 06/16/04: June Update 04/02/04: April Update 02/13/04: Spring Update 1/22/04: Boston College Chronicle Q&A 12/22/03: Winter Update 10/15/03: Fall Update 08/11/03: Summer Message 01/16/03: Winter Update 11/6/02: Fall Update 9/12/02: Fall Preview 6/26/02: Summer Message 3/19/02: Winter Wrap Up 11/28/01: Fall Wrap Up 8/27/01: Fall Preview 7/24/01: Summer Message 5/11/01: Spring Update 4/9/01: Winter Sports Wrap 02/23/01: Winter Sports Continue To Impress 01/15/01: Midway Through the Winter 12/05/00: Student-Athlete Success 11/13/00: Fall Success 9/29/00: Fall Underway 8/30/00: Preparation For Fall 7/24/00: Greetings

Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo visits with a few Boston College Superfans during a recent Men's Basketball game.

Dear Friends,

As summer winds down and we count the days until our September 11 home football opener against Penn State, we have many reasons to point with excitement to the future of our athletics program.

We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes on the field and in the classroom. The past few seasons have been filled with thrilling moments and unprecedented success. Our football team has gone to five straight bowl games, our men's and women's basketball teams have brought home Big East trophies, and our men's ice hockey team continues to be a source of pride. Our men's and women's soccer teams continue to rack up victories, as do our field hockey, softball and baseball programs.

Our football team won the 2004 American Football Coaches Association's Academic Achievement Award with the nation's best graduation rate, and the overall graduation rate of all our student-athletes, male and female, is the sixth-best in the nation.

Workers are busy preparing Alumni Stadium for the 2004 football season. Our new FieldTurf surface has been installed, and our coaches and players have given it rave reviews. Work on the Yawkey Athletics Center progresses on schedule toward the projected completion next spring.

I hope you have enjoyed the warm summer days with your family and friends. We look forward to seeing you at many of our events during the upcoming year. Thanks for your continued support of BC Athletics.

Sincerely,

Gene DeFilippo
Director of Athletics