Blake James Announces New Investment into Boston College Athletics

On Tuesday, Boston College athletic director Blake James sent a message to the BC community detailing his disappointment with the football program and announcing a brand new and significant investment from donors.

The 2025 Boston College football season has come to an end, and I share the great disappointment of many students, faculty, and staff as well as alumni and fans around the world.  While the team ended the season on a positive note by defeating Syracuse 34-12, the overall results on the field this year did not meet the standards of Boston College Athletics, nor the expectations rightfully held by those who care deeply about our program.

Like many, I believe Coach O’Brien is the right man to be our head coach.  I also realize that Boston College must respond to major changes taking place in intercollegiate athletics, including the House legal settlement, which created a framework through which colleges and universities may directly share revenue with student-athletes. While our Athletics program participated in revenue sharing this past year, effective immediately, it will increase its commitment to the maximum permissible level, putting it in line with our Autonomy Four conference peers.  The University is committed to supporting football with the resources necessary to compete while maintaining its longstanding academic and ethical standards.

In addition, BC will make significant investments in operational and administrative support for football, most notably the addition of a General Manager (Kenyatta Watson) to support roster management, player recruitment and development, and general program oversight. These enhancements will strengthen our ability to operate effectively within the evolving landscape of college athletics and to compete at the highest level.

To meet the resource requirements of this new moment for BC football, philanthropic support will be critical. I am pleased to announce that Boston College has received a $50 million challenge to match on a 1-1 basis over the next 5-7 years new endowment gifts for athletics scholarships and operational costs (travel, nutrition, and medical care, etc.) Details about this extraordinary commitment will be announced in the coming days. The University intends to launch a special fundraising effort separate from its existing Soaring Higher campaign to meet not only the $50 million match, but to add to it and raise even more new endowment to support BC’s Athletics program.

I am deeply grateful for the continued engagement, generosity, and dedication of our alumni and friends to BC football during this time of great change. Such support enables our student-athletes to strive for excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in service of others.  They and I rely on your partnership, especially during this pivotal period in American intercollegiate sports.

Based on what I’ve heard from people familiar with the Athletics budget, this 2x increase in revenue sharing is expected to heavily benefit the football program. Nothing has been made public, but alongside the additional $50M match, I would expect that Boston College football receives a huge influx of cash in the coming year. There still may be some increases of financial support for basketball and hockey rosters, but football is expected to see the biggest impact.

This news comes right off the heels of the hiring of Kenyatta Watson, previously an assistant GM at Auburn University, to take the lead general manager role at BC. Watson is a former Boston College wide receiver that was highly regarded at Auburn, and now brings his wealth of experience back to the Heights.