There are exciting things happening at Alumni Stadium, and they are not just the return of football games enjoyed by thousands of spectators. Through a partnership with Boston College Athletics, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College has revitalized the Alumni South section of the stadium concourse with Boston-themed food and decor to create a welcoming space that can be used by student organizations.
UGBC announced the renovations on its Instagram page on Sept. 24.
“The Alumni South location has a ton of potential, and not only on game days,” said JM Caparro, senior associate athletics director. “We wanted to bring the sights, sounds, and tastes of Boston inside of the stadium because we feel that it will be a great addition to our fan experience.”
Both UGBC and BC Athletics see the space as more than just a game-day feature, according to Caparro, and hope that it can become a place where clubs and organizations can get together year-round.
“UGBC leadership and OSI [Office of Student Involvement], working alongside Jamie DiLoreto, who oversees our marketing department, really expanded on the idea to live year-round so it could build into a student-event destination throughout the academic year,” Caparro said. “I’m excited to see the evolution of the space.”
Although it was open during the football game versus the University of Missouri on Sept. 25, many students experienced the renovations for the first time at the watch party for the BC vs. Clemson football game co-organized by Campus Activities Board (CAB) and UGBC on Saturday.
“The improvements make the concourse much more inviting and friendly and will make for a great atmosphere on game days,” Liam English, a student who attended the watch party and CSOM ’25, said.
The food menu consists of classics like hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as a special deal on a hotdog and drink for students who present an Eagle ID. The signage is entirely Boston-themed, including T station signs and street signs bearing the names of famous roads like Boylston St. and Commonwealth Ave.
Acquiring funding for the project was a joint venture between UGBC and BC Athletics, according to UGBC President Jack Bracher, MCAS ’22.
“Part of the UGBC budget includes unused funds from the previous year,” Bracher said. “Due to Student Affairs being willing to add these unused funds on top of the funding we are given in the annual budget appropriations, we were able to fund the project without taking money away from any UGBC division or council. Athletics provided funding for the project as well and was in charge of the design process.”
Following the call of second-year head football coach Jeff Hafley for students to show as much support for the football team as possible, staying up all night if they had to, Bracher said that there has been a greater student presence at the stadium.
“Our ultimate hope is to give students another space to utilize, especially on game days,” Bracher said. “We have seen students arrive earlier and stay longer at football games this year. UGBC hopes that Alumni South has played and will continue to play a part in this. By giving students an area inside the stadium to sit down, watch the game, and grab some food, we will be able to keep students at games for a longer time.”
With the off-the-field success of Saturday’s watch party versus Clemson, which had many freshmen and sophomores in attendance, UGBC saw part of its goal materialize.
“By giving students, in particular those on campus, a safe, welcoming, and dynamic space to participate in cheering on our teams, we believe that we can greatly improve the quality of student life and continue to build school spirit,” Bracher said.
The improvements to Alumni South were just the beginning of the partnership between UGBC and BC Athletics. Students received an email about the upcoming Ice Jam, a winter sports kickoff event that BC Athletics, UGBC, and CAB are bringing back to BC. In the future, Bracher said, keep an eye out for other similar events.
“Athletics has been a great partner for UGBC throughout the start of the school year and we hope to continue making strong impacts on the student experience and student-athlete experience in years to come,” Bracher said.
Featured Image by Molly Bruns / Heights Staff
