The Boston University men’s hockey team will raise its 2009 NCAA national championship banner on Saturday, Oct. 10 before its 7 p.m. exhibition game against the United States Under-18 Select Team, according to a press release.
The athletic department had previously announced that the banner-raising ceremony would take place on Oct. 20 before the Terriers’ regular-season home opener against the University of Notre Dame.
‘There are several reasons why we will now have the ceremony on Oct. 10,’ BU coach Jack Parker said in the release. ‘Our team and coaching staff want to raise the banner before we start our regular season, which begins at [the University of Massachusetts-Amherst] on Oct. 16.’
‘It’s something we want to be able to take our time with and enjoy, and an exhibition contest allows us to do that. Plus, a Saturday game will allow fans to be in their seats before faceoff more easily than a Tuesday game.’
The NCAA doesn’t allow regular-season games to start late because of ceremonies, so the move to an exhibition game means BU won’t have to worry about running behind schedule. It also means the ceremony won’t need to be worked around TV commercials, which it would be if NESN or ESPNU decides to pick up the Notre Dame game.
On the other hand, a game against the U-18 Team will certainly receive less hype than a game against a national power like Notre Dame. The move also lands the banner raising on Columbus Day weekend, which could throw a wrench into the plans of fans that weren’t planning on being in Boston that weekend.
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What a shame! They will hang the banner in an empty arena, Not fair to players or fans.