I woke up this morning to the discouraging news that Northeastern Athletics Director Peter Roby made the difficult decision to cut the football program. While not considered the apple of the university’s eye the last few seasons, and amid the turmoil left in the wake of former head coach Don Brown’s discouraging decision four years ago to waltz his way back to UMass, the NU football program has struggled on many fronts. Most notable were a lack of funds and the inability to have an on-campus stadium ‘- something former President Richard Freeland fought for throughout his tenure.

This could have been avoided.

Make no mistake, I’m delighted at the work that went into Matthews Arena over the summer. From video clips and photos, to reports from fellow alumni, I’ve heard nothing but incredible things about that old barn ‘- a place I spent an enormous amount of time in. Kudos to you, Mr. Roby, for regenerating a Boston icon and architectural gem. But could the football program have been saved with that money? Could that same money have been put into a fund to turn Columbus Park into a stadium?

I’m discouraged. I’m discouraged and sympathetic toward the student body, faculty and alumni who watched the NU football program over the years. I’m sad for all the former players, from Sean Jones to Liam Ezekiel. I feel extraordinarily bad for the current players and the coaching staff, who now must find new places to play and coach in a difficult economic time. But most of all, I feel absolutely terrible for Sports Information Director Jack Grinold, who has devoted more than 45 years to the NU football program, barely missing a game.

Today, NU fell a level ‘- one I never thought it would drop to. In a way, I feel this could have been avoided. In tough economic times, you find ways to reduce your staff cuts, even if that means holding off on something you desperately want to fix or purchase. I know this was not an easy decision, and I admire Mr. Roby for making it knowing the balance of student emotion will sway against him. But I firmly believe Mr. Freeland would never have let this happen.

‘- Andrew Cuneo is a 2003 Northeastern graduate and former editor-in-chief of the Northeastern News.