Back in a New York State of Mind

On Sunday afternoon, exultation rang out from Alumni Stadium. It ran through Conte Forum, out past Gabelli Plaza and up the Million Dollar Stairs. It ran out through the Yawkey Center, past the new construction sites and infused its Maroon and Gold adrenaline rush into all Eagles past, present and future.

Boston College is heading back to one of its most fertile home bases. The Eagles are bound for New York City to play Iowa in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium.

"This is a real exciting day today," Eagles head coach Steve Addazio said. "(We) have an opportunity to play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Iowa. Just a great opportunity for our football program, for our fans (and) for our alumni. That's our home base footprint for us. Part of our footprint includes New Jersey, New York."

2017 will be the first-ever meeting between BC and the Hawkeyes. The berth sends the Eagles back to the Bronx for the first time since 2014's see-saw loss to Penn State, while a Big Ten opponent awaits for the second consecutive season and third straight bowl after last year's Quick Lane Bowl triumph over Maryland.

"I love playing a big-name brand," athletic director Martin Jarmond said following the announcement. "That's big boy football. We were jacked when I called Steve (about the game). And obviously when I was in the Big Ten, I know a lot of the guys at Iowa. They're great, and it's a great matchup for us. That's what you want. You want to compete in those kinds of games and that kind of environment. That's important to us."

It's a limited-edition opportunity for BC. Beyond the venue, Iowa is a classic powerhouse football program that's been in the Big Ten since virtually its inception. The Hawkeyes are 11-time conference champions with 31 bowl game appearances. The team's been to nine bowl games in the last 10 years, including last year's Outback Bowl. In 2015, Iowa went 12-0 and front-ran for the College Football Playoff before losing the Big Ten Championship Game to Michigan State. It went to the Rose Bowl instead, where Iowa lost to Stanford.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz is a living legend, having won nearly 150 games in 17 years in Iowa City. In 2009, he led Iowa to an Orange Bowl victory over Georgia Tech, and he's a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. He's won national honors multiple times, and as an offshoot from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, occasionally garners attention for NFL vacancies.

"You're talking about two great conferences," Addazio said. "Having a chance to play a great program like Iowa - I've known Kirk Ferentz a long time. He's just an established, phenomenal football coach who has built a great football program. That's a prideful, classy program that's in a proud conference."

The matchup makes the Pinstripe Bowl one of the hottest bowl games on the circuit. Its status as a Tier I bowl game gives it a competitive aura, and its Big Apple location automatically installs it with a sense of drama. It's become a staple for Northeast football, and BC joins Syracuse and Rutgers with repeat appearances under the famed frieze at Yankee Stadium.

"We're one of two football programs in Power Five (conferences), in the northeast, that are playing in bowl games this winter," Addazio said. "We're proud to be representing Northeast football in the Power Five. It's a great honor for us. We have so many great players and they football. They love competing and they couldn't be more excited about this opportunity."

It's a coveted bowl for the Eagles and the culmination of a recruitment effort to help place BC into a Tier I bowl game. "As soon as the Syracuse game was over, I called the ACC and asked what I could do," Jarmond said. "They told me to call and do whatever I could. I had met a couple of the (Pinstripe Bowl) guys at the ACC Media Day, so I called the Pinstripe Bowl and the Sun Bowl and a couple of others and talked to them about what Boston College and our program is about."

"I just feel like it's such a great fit for us," Addazio echoed. "So I'm always thinking about the Pinstripe Bowl. But to tell you the truth, when did I know we had a shot to be in it for real? When I got that phone call (from the athletic director). There's so many twists and turns that happen in college football right now, you just never know."

Those twists and turns were on display this weekend. Sunday was one of the most tense days in college football history because of the uncertainty surrounding the College Football Playoff. Bowl slotting became dependent on downstream impacts, especially as the ACC's bowl positioning became potentially reliant on other leagues' teams. The experts and prognosticators held no consensus regarding who would play in what bowl.

"People think you can call and convince (bowls to select you), but reality is that you can only do so much," athletic director Martin Jarmond said. "It's a business and they have to bring in a team that's an attractive, quality matchup with tickets and engagement. I could only tell the bowl what we're about."

When the announcement finally came, it was both a relief and an exultation. Everything fell into place in just the right way, which is something potentially and ironically due to their bowl game opponent. Last month, Iowa pummeled then-No. 6 Ohio State at home, 55-24. The game stood out when the Buckeyes missed out on the CFP, which in turn led to the downstream domino effect ending with this game.

"There's some energy about us," Jarmond said. "We have a lot of momentum. It's a lot of credit to the guys who took the leadership and shot (this team) up. There's a lot of excitement about Boston College. There's not many teams that won five out of their last six games, and that makes people excited. (But) I've been in touch with the Pinstripe Bowl throughout the week, and I knew there were things that could go this way or that way that we didn't know until today."

However the bowl selection happened is now irrelevant. Boston College is heading back to the Pinstripe Bowl. In 2014, the Eagles helped pack Yankee Stadium for the bowl's largest crowd when BC and Penn State combined for nearly 50,000 fans. It's a number likely matched because Boston College's local footprint.

"I heard how our people were really excited (last time)," Jarmond said. "It was a great atmosphere. It was one of the few bowl games that we knew we would be strongly represented because of the area. We have 120,000 alumni and fans within driving distance of New York. We have over 25,000 alumni just in New York (alone). So we have a lot of concentration, and you want that many people there to help you win the game."

The Pinstripe Bowl is annually one of college football's premier attractions. New York City is one of the world's biggest and greatest cities. Yankee Stadium is newer than its predecessor, but it oozes history through its pores thanks to the tradition of the Yankees. There's a special connection, especially with Boston. Boston College wanted a chance to go back to the Big Apple, and on December 27, that's exactly what it gets.

"I don't know that there's anything better than being in New York at that time of year," Addazio said. "To me, it doesn't get any better at that time - New York at Christmastime. You're talking about playing in one of the storied, great venues. We've had a chance to play in a couple of them. That's so exciting."

"There's something special about being in New York, this time of year, with Christmas," Jarmond said. "And a lot of families can travel to see their kids. That would've been harder if we were in California or somewhere where it's financially a challenge. I like being in the Pinstripe Bowl. From what I've heard, the only that didn't go our way (last time) was the outcome of the game. But everything else was first class."

The Eagles and Hawkeyes will kick off at 5:15 p.m. on December 27 in Yankee Stadium.

Boston College Athletics

Related News

Related Videos