n I believe that yesterday’s sports column by Chris Pasquale (“Where has all the money gone? No growth in Terrier athletics,” Oct. 4, p. 12) is a completely unfair attack on Athletic Director Mike Lynch.

First off, the writer loses me in the first paragraph by thinking that Boston University’s TV contract helps pay for athletics when it is well known that BU actually pays to get its games on television. BU pays heavily to keep its athletic programs afloat, just like most Division I schools.

Very few schools go the extra step of promoting its programs by paying even more to put games on a regional sports network like New England Sports Network. I have never seen as much energy in the athletic department as I’ve seen during the Lynch years (I have been following BU since the early 90’s).

People who saw the condition of BU athletics during the Silber years know what I mean. BU has won Commissioner’s Cup in America East four of the past five years — and it looks to be well on its way to doing it again this year.

I don’t know where the writer gets his information from, but BU was not winning top programs regularly or dominating before Lynch’s arrival.

In fact, before this streak, BU hadn’t won the Commissioner’s Cup since ’90-91.

BU has two teams currently ranked in the national top 10 in men’s hockey and women’s soccer. The field hockey and men’s soccer teams were also briefly ranked. The men’s basketball team has been in either the NCAA or NIT Tournament more often than not.

The point is that this type of success is rare for a school in one of the, let’s face it, lower Division I conferences.

BU also just started a women’s hockey program that is growing rapidly and exceeding expectations. BU is clearly the top athletics program in America East.

What more the writer is expecting, I do not know. Yes, I would like the hockey team to make the Frozen Four again. However, with Agganis Arena and the TV contract all the tools are in place.

Also, Pasquale seems to think the arena is all Jack Parker’s doing. That is absolutely false. While Parker obviously had a great deal to do with the project, Lynch had a big hand in fundraising and overseeing the project.

I’m not sure where Pasquale thinks BU can improve. I would have liked to hear his ideas. Of course, he only offers criticism. The main goal to improve the program is to place BU in a better conference.

Lynch worked tirelessly during the last conference shake-up to make that happen. BU came close, but unfortunately, the A-10 chose two schools that were already in superior conferences instead of BU.

Lynch knows that keeping BU at the top of America East and having great facilities will make BU attractive the next time there are openings. In my opinion, he is doing just that. BU athletics overall is the strongest since I have been following them. I think the department is in good hands.

Brian Genty

CAS ’95