Can Boston College Be Boston’s 5th Team? Bill O’Brien Says Absolutely

BC Football Fans
Aug 20
4 min read

Boston's Fifth Team: Boston College Football’s Big Opportunity

Thomas Castellanos (Photo: BC Athletics)

BOSTON, MASS – Boston is a pro sports city, and everyone knows it. The Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots dominate the conversation year-round. They are dynasties with deep roots, diehard fanbases, and a legacy of championships that few cities can match.

But just across town in Chestnut Hill, Boston College Football is trying to stake its claim. The Eagles have history of their own. Doug Flutie’s famous Hail Mary against Miami remains one of the sport’s most iconic moments. Yet today the question lingers: can BC Football matter again in Boston the way it once did? Can it become the “fifth team” in a city where the standard for fandom is as high as it gets?

At the Pinstripe Bowl last winter, I asked Boston College President William Leahy that very question. Could BC Football become Boston’s fifth team, standing alongside the city’s pro franchises? His response was measured, cautious. “I don’t think of BC as a pro team,” Leahy said. He added that he wanted BC “to have a significant role in whatever happens.” It was a reactive answer not a proactive one, which underscored how the administration often views football through an academic lens rather than seizing the opportunity to elevate the program in a city obsessed with sports.

Bill O’Brien, on the other hand, understood immediately. Born in Dorchester and raised in Andover, the new head coach knows this city, its fans, and its unforgiving demands. When I asked him if Boston College could be that fifth team, he didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”

O'Brien continued, “I mean, I think we have to do a good job. We have to win. We have to put a good product on the field. We’ve got to recruit. We got to get good players in here, which I think we’re on the right track with. We have to be an exciting team to watch… and we’ve got to continue to market the program."

"We can be the fifth Boston team and I think we’re working hard to be that.”

That is the voice of someone who not only understands Boston but understands the urgency of this moment for Boston College.

College football is shifting rapidly. NIL deals, the transfer portal, and conference realignment have blurred the line between college and professional sports. Universities can now allocate up to $20.5 million directly to athletics. At BC, athletic director Blake James has made it clear: “We need to elevate this [football] program to greater heights than where we’ve been over the last few years, if we’re really going to be the program we want to be nationally.” He added that football would be the top priority in resource allocation.

This alignment between O’Brien and James matters. Both see football as the program that must carry BC into the future. Both understand that if Boston College wants to remain at the Power Four level, investment in football is not optional. It is existential.

And O’Brien adds another layer: the opportunity. He understands the Boston landscape and how sometimes it is even hard to fill stands at Fenway or the Garden when the Sox or the B’s and C’s aren’t winning. He knows fans will only come if you win and entertain. He also knows that Saturdays are open in this market.

"In the end, we play on Saturdays. The Patriots never play on Saturdays unless it’s late in the year. Let’s get our fans here. What a great weekend it would be. Come to the BC game and then go down to Gillette on Sunday and watch the Patriots play. That’s a pretty cool weekend."

Boston College has the location, the tradition, and now a coach who speaks the city’s language. O’Brien knows fans will come if you give them a reason. He knows BC can carve out Saturdays as its own. And he knows Boston fans reward success and abandon mediocrity. That is both the challenge and the opportunity.

This is where the dream of being Boston’s fifth team stops being far-fetched. Imagine a winning BC program, marketed aggressively, offering fans the chance to be part of something distinct. A team that represents not just a college campus, but the city.

Change is also coming at the top. Father John T. “Jack” Butler, S.J., will succeed Father Leahy as BC’s president in 2026. Butler has served as chaplain to the football program since 2010. He knows the players, understands the program’s place in BC culture, and has been part of its journey. That familiarity could be crucial. With O’Brien pushing on the field, James prioritizing resources, and Father Jack soon leading the university, Boston College has a rare chance to align all levels of leadership behind football.

So can Boston College be that fifth Boston team?

Bill O’Brien’s answer is simple: “Absolutely.”

It won’t be easy. This is still a program that hasn’t won more than seven games since 2009. But the vision is clear. With resources, alignment, and wins, Boston College has the chance to matter again in a city that only respects success.

And if it happens, Saturday afternoons in Chestnut Hill could once again become must-see events in Boston’s sports calendar.

Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is a reporter for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com