(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
By Sam Britt
Boston College’s football team has chosen to forgo a bowl game so that their players can spend Christmas with their families, according to the AP.
BC finished 6-5 and was eligible for a bowl but the players voted against participating. They are the first school to opt-out of the postseason.
BC's center Alec Lindstrom spoke to Yahoo! Sports and explained some of the emotions the team was feeling.
"It's been really hard for us. It's really starting to take a mental toll. Guys can't go home like they usually can."
Head coach Jeff Hafley told the AP the fact the team only had one positive COVID-19 test was the most impressive thing from this past season.
“What we did with COVID was bigger in my opinion than any game we could have win,” said Hafley, who was in his first year at BC. “I wish we could play every Saturday. But I don’t have to sit in a dorm room by myself.”
Hafley said he could sense the strain his roster was feeling from the unusual season. He brought together what he calls his “leadership council,” which includes a representative from each position group.
The group made the decision to not play together.
“When (linebacker Max Richardson) told the team that they’re going home to see their families, it was an uproar,” Hafley said. “At that moment I knew 100% it was the right decision.”
Athletic director Pat Kraft said it was more important for the players to go home for the holidays.
“A lot of these young men haven’t hugged their loved ones since June,” Kraft said Thursday in a conference call with reporters. “I’m very, very, very proud of them and the sacrifices they’ve made.”
Bleacher Report projected that BC could potentially take part in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Gasparilla Bowl or the Military Bowl.
Hafley outlined the worst-case scenario for his team if they had decided to stay and play.
“It’s getting worse,” Hafley said. “For us to go through three weeks of practice and not know: ‘Is the bowl game really going to happen?’ Are we going to miss Christmas with our families and then be told on the 25th that we’re not going to play?’”