View source for Boston University Terriers

{{Short description|Collegiate athletic teams representing Boston University}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox college athletics
| name            = Boston University Terriers
| logo            = Boston University Terriers logo.svg
| logo_width      = 150
| university      = Boston University
| association     = NCAA
| conference      = [[Patriot League]] (primary)<br>[[Hockey East]] (ice hockey)<br />[[Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges|EARC]] (rowing)
| division        = [[NCAA Division I|Division I]]
| director        = Drew Marrochello<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goterriers.com/staff.aspx|title=GoTerriers.com - The Official Site of Boston University Athletics|website=www.goterriers.com|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref>
| location            = [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]]
| teams           = 24 (10 men, 14 women)
| stadium         = [[Nickerson Field]] (1953–97)
| basketballarena = [[Case Gym]]
| mascot          = Rhett the Boston Terrier
| nickname        = Terriers
| fightsong       = [[Go BU]]
| pageurl         = https://goterriers.com/
| icehockeyarena=[[Agganis Arena]]
| altlogo = [[file:Boston terriers wordmark 2015.png|200px]]
}}

The '''Boston University Terriers''' are the ten men's and fourteen women's [[Varsity team|varsity]] athletic teams representing [[Boston University]] in [[NCAA Division I]] competition. Boston University's team nickname is the Terriers, and the official mascot is [[Rhett the Boston Terrier]]. The [[school colors]] are [[Scarlet (color)|Scarlet]] and White.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bu.edu/timeline/1930/02/28/university-colors-become-official/|title=University Colors Become Official|website=www.bu.edu|access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref>

The majority of Boston University's teams compete as members of the [[Patriot League]], with the ice hockey teams competing in [[Hockey East]] and rowing competing in the [[Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges|EARC]].

== Conference change ==
On July 1, 2013, Boston University left the [[America East Conference]] and joined the [[Patriot League]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Boston University Officially Joins the Patriot League |url=http://www.goterriers.com/news/2013/7/1/Boston_University_Officially_Joins_the_Patriot_League.aspx |publisher=Boston University}}</ref>

== Sports sponsored ==
{| class="wikitable" style=" "
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Boston University Terriers|Men's sports|Women's sports}}
|-
| [[Boston University Terriers men's basketball|Basketball]] || [[Boston University Terriers women's basketball|Basketball]]
|-
| Cross country || Cross country
|-
| [[Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey|Ice hockey]] || Field hockey
|-
|[[Boston University Terriers men's lacrosse|Lacrosse]]|| Golf
|-
| Rowing || [[Boston University Terriers women's ice hockey|Ice hockey]]
|-
| Soccer || Lacrosse
|-
| Swimming & diving || Lightweight rowing
|-
| Tennis || Rowing
|-
| Track & field<sup>†</sup> || Soccer
|-
| || [[Boston University Terriers softball|Softball]]
|-
| || Swimming & diving
|-
| || Tennis
|-
| || Track & field<sup>†</sup>
|-
| colspan="2" style="{{NCAA secondary color cell|Boston University Terriers}}" | {{small|† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.}}
|}
Boston University is one of 4 NCAA Division I schools to not sponsor at least one of women's volleyball or baseball (The other 3 being [[Detroit Titans|Detroit Mercy]], [[Drexel Dragons|Drexel]], and [[Vermont Catamounts|Vermont]]).

=== Ice hockey ===
{{Main|Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey|Boston University Terriers women's ice hockey}}

Boston University's [[ice hockey]] team is the most successful sports program at the school, with five national championships (1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009) and 21 appearances in the Frozen Four. The Terriers have also been the national runners-up five times, and have won five ECAC tournament championships and seven Hockey East tournament championships. Many of Boston University's hockey players have gone on to successful careers in the NHL.

Since 1984 the Terriers have played in the [[Hockey East]] conference, along with crosstown arch-rivals [[Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey|Boston College]] (BC).  The series with Boston College is known as the [[Green Line Rivalry]] or the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue.  Under long-time coach and former player, [[Jack Parker (ice hockey)|Jack Parker]], Boston University excelled in the 1990s, winning six Hockey East regular season titles, four Hockey East tournament titles, the 1995 National Championship and three National runner-up trophies. Boston University missed the Frozen Four for 11 consecutive seasons beginning in 1998 but returned to glory by winning the national championship in 2009.

Boston University has dominated the annual [[Beanpot (ice hockey)|Beanpot]] tournament, which has been contested by the four Boston metro area-based collegiate teams – the others being BC, [[Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey|Northeastern]] and [[Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey|Harvard]] – since the 1952–53 season. The televised tourney is a local institution, played in front of annual sellouts at the TD Garden, and is a fierce battle for bragging rights.  As of 2010, the Terriers have won 29 of 58 Beanpots and 12 of the last 16.

=== Other varsity sports ===
{{See also|Boston University Terriers men's basketball|Boston University Terriers women's basketball}}

For most other sports, Boston University competes in the [[Patriot League]]. The men's [[basketball]] team earned post-season berths in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] tournament or [[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] four straight seasons between 2002 and 2005 and also in 2011. They are known to have a rivalry with the Albany Great Danes and the Vermont Catamounts. The program is notable for grooming big name college coaches such as [[Rick Pitino]], [[Mike Jarvis]], and [[Patrick Chambers]].

The Terriers also have a history of national success in men's and women's [[soccer]], women's tennis, [[field hockey]], and [[women's lacrosse]]. The men's and women's rowing teams compete in the [[Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges|EARC]] and [[Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges|EAWRC]] respectively, the oldest and most competitive conference in [[College rowing (United States)|collegiate rowing]]. The women's tennis team has won the most conference titles of any varsity sport at Boston University, holding 28 conference titles across the America East and Patriot League Conferences. In 1991 and 1992 the women's rowing team won back-to-back national championships. From 1884 to 1997, the Terriers also had an [[Boston University Terriers football|American football team]].

== Championships ==
=== National team championships ===

*'''Men's (5)'''
**[[List of NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament champions#Team titles|Ice Hockey]] (5): 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009
*'''Women's (2)'''
**[[NCAA Division I Rowing Championship#Prior Championships|Rowing]]- Varsity [[Eight (rowing)|Eight]] (2): 1991, 1992<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/wash/sports/m-crew/archive/national.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023029/http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/wash/sports/m-crew/archive/national.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Conference championships ===

'''Men's conference championships'''
*'''Hockey''' (17): 1965, 1967, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2023 - Tournament (15): 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2023
*'''Basketball''' (8): 1980, 1983, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2014 - Tournament (7): 1983, 1988, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2011, 2020
*'''Football''' (5): 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993
*'''Lacrosse''' (1): 2022 - Tournament (1): 2022
*'''Soccer''' (13): 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2023 - Tournament (8): 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2023
*'''Tennis''' (4): 1988, 1993, 1994, 1996
*'''Swimming & Diving''' (3): 1993, 2002, 2013
*'''Cross Country''' (11): 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2010

'''Women's conference championships'''
*'''Hockey''' (2): 2011, 2013 - Tournament (6): 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2025
*'''Basketball''' (3): 1988, 2009, 2012 - Tournament (3): 1988, 1989, 2003
*'''Soccer''' (12): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 - Tournament (9): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
*'''Tennis''' (28): 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023 - Tournament (19): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023
*'''Lacrosse''' (6): 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012 - Tournament (9): 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
*'''Field Hockey''' (12): 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 - Tournament (8): 1991, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
*'''Softball''' (8): 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 - Tournament (9): 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014
*'''Swimming & Diving''' (5): 1990, 1994, 2009, 2010, 2012
*'''Indoor Track & Field''' (13): 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014
*'''Outdoor Track & Field''' (3): 1993, 2008, 2014
*'''Cross Country''' (13): 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014
*'''Golf''' (13): 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014

== Facilities ==
In 2005, Boston University opened [[Agganis Arena]] for hockey and basketball, named after alumnus and [[Boston Red Sox]] [[first baseman]] [[Harry Agganis]]. The facility was designed as a hockey [[arena]]: a departure from Boston University's [[Walter Brown Arena]] which had the smallest playing ice in Division I. Depending on its configuration, Agganis Arena can seat up to 8,000 people, so it is sometimes utilized for events that would be too small for the 18,624-seat [[TD Garden]].

Other facilities include the indoor [[BU Track and Tennis Center|Track and Tennis Center]] and the Fitness and Recreation Center ("FitRec"), which includes a pool and diving well for the swim teams. The 200-meter [[indoor track]] is modeled on the previous high-banked [[BU Armory|Armory]] track, which attracted programs looking to run fast times. The turns, banked up to 18.5 degrees help runners push through turns at normal speed and rhythm, and can produce many personal indoor bests. The Track and Tennis Center hosts the annual BU Invitational. At the 2018 BU Valentine Invitational, [[Edward Cheserek]] ran a 3:49.44 mile to become the second-fastest indoor mile runner of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ChrisChavez/status/962116622411620352|title=Chris Chavez on Twitter|website=twitter.com|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref>

Soccer and lacrosse are played on the artificial surface of [[Nickerson Field]]. Field hockey competes at New Balance Field.

== Mascot ==
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| total_width       = 320
| image1            = Boston University terrier.jpg
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = Rhett, an early incarnation of the unofficial mascot, being walked around inside the College of Arts and Sciences
| image2            = R2 The Terrier.jpg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = Rhett II "Artoo", a current incarnation of Rhett the Boston Terrier
| footer            = 
}}
'''Rhett the Boston Terrier''' is the official costumed [[mascot]] of [[Boston University]] and the [[Boston University Academy]]. In November 1922, the [[Boston Terrier]] dog breed was chosen as the university's mascot in a student vote, winning over the alternatives of a bull (male) [[moose]] or [[elephant]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-20 |title=Rhett the Terrier, Through the Years |url=https://www.bu.edu/articles/2018/rhett-the-terrier-bu-mascot/ |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=[[Boston University]] |language=en}}</ref> Aside from the breed's longtime association with the city of Boston, the breed was first bred in the United States in 1869, the year of Boston University's chartering.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=BU Mascot: A Brief History |url=https://www.bu.edu/alumni/files/2020/09/BU-Mascot-Name-History.pdf |access-date=7 July 2024 |website=[[Boston University]]}}</ref>

In October 1925, the [[Boston University Terriers football|Boston University football team]] adopted a terrier pup named Pep to serve as its mascot, though it was referred to as "Kappa" by ''BU News'', the university's newspaper, in an October 1927 issue. In 1933, Boston University students purchased another terrier named Danny to become the new mascot. Following Danny's death from drowning in the [[Charles River]], another terrier named Danny II was purchased in November 1935. After Danny II ran away, a terrier pup was donated to Boston University Dean Atlee L. Percy in October 1949 and named Gulliver in a student vote. In 1956, Boston University acquired its next Boston Terrier mascot dog, which was initially named Fumbles before being renamed to Touchdown.<ref name=":0" />

In 1969, the current mascot dog, Terrier III, died without a replacement being purchased until 1980. When Boston University unveiled a costumed mascot at a home football game in November 1983, it was named Rhett, referencing [[Rhett Butler|Rhett Butler's]] affection for [[Scarlett O'Hara]] in [[Margaret Mitchell]]'s ''[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Gone with the Wind]]'' since Boston University's primary color is [[Scarlet (color)|scarlet]]. The mascot costume has been changed in 1996, 2004, and 2008.<ref name=":0" />

In 2008, alumnus Calvin Iwanicki named his Boston Terrier pet dog Rhett, often showcasing him across campus buildings as the university's unofficial mascot. After Rhett's death in March 2020, Iwanicki purchased another Boston Terrier pup in August 2020, which he named Rhett the Second and nicknamed as Artoo.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-08-29 |title=There’s a New Rhett in Town |url=https://dailyfreepress.com/2020/08/29/theres-a-new-rhett-in-town/ |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=[[The Daily Free Press]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

Rhett's nemesis is [[Baldwin the Eagle|Baldwin]], the [[Boston College]] eagle.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Rhett has participated in several [[ESPN]] "[[This is SportsCenter]]" commercials<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/_wFeEDGUaCw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408142342/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wFeEDGUaCw Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wFeEDGUaCw| title = Rhett on SportsCenter | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and competed three times in the Universal Cheerleading Association's mascot nationals, placing as high as fourth in 2002.  He was also named an All-American in 1996 and "Boston's Top Mascot" in 1998.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

During the [[George Floyd protests|2020 George Floyd protests]], Boston University President [[Robert A. Brown]] appointed a committee to consider renaming the mascot based on complaints that Rhett Butler's character associated with the [[Confederate States of America]] and [[sexual assault]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pedro |first=Portia |date=2024 |title=Resistance Proceduralism: A Prologue to Theorizing Procedural Subordination |url=https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4851&context=wlulr |journal=[[Washington and Lee Law Review]] |volume=80 |issue=5 |pages=2039–2081 |via=[[Washington and Lee University]]}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*{{Official website}}

{{Boston University}}
{{Patriot League navbox}}
{{Hockey East}}
{{Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges}}
{{Massachusetts Sports}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Boston University Terriers| ]]
[[Category:Patriot League]]