The Green Line Rivalry, also known as the B-Line Rivalry, the Battle of Boston, and the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue, is the celebrated sports rivalry between Boston College and Boston University. This rivalry is named after the Green Line, a light rail line that runs along Commonwealth Avenue and links the two schools as part of the MBTA, Boston's public transit system.
The Green Line of the MBTA, linking Boston College and Boston University.
A Storied History
The series dates back to February 6, 1918, marking the beginning of BU's hockey program. Their inaugural game was against BC, resulting in a 3-1 loss at the Boston Arena. Since then, no other opponent has appeared on either team's schedule more often.
The rivalry has been renewed annually since the 1946-47 season, and the two teams have met at least twice a year since 1949. With 18 NCAA championship game appearances between them, Boston College and Boston University both field perennially competitive collegiate ice hockey teams.
Conte Forum, home of the Boston College Eagles hockey team.
Read also: The History of Boston Latin Hockey
Annual Showdowns
The two teams meet thrice annually as part of their regular Hockey East season schedule, and often also meet in the Hockey East and NCAA postseason tournaments. Additionally, each first and second Monday in February, BC and BU, along with Harvard and Northeastern, take part in the annual Beanpot Tournament held at TD Garden, where the Eagles and Terriers often square off in the championship game.
Beanpot Tournament Dominance
In the 70 years of the tournament, the two teams have played for the Beanpot trophy 22 times, with BU winning 12 of the championship matchups and BC winning 10. Both teams have had stretches where they dominated the tournament, however, the Terriers have triumphed more often, winning the title 31 times compared to the Eagles' 20 titles (Harvard and Northeastern combined have only won 19 times).
Both teams have won the national championship five times; BC in 1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012 and BU in 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009. The two rivals faced off in the 1978 championship game in Providence, with BU claiming its third national championship with a 5-3 victory in Providence, RI.
Agganis Arena, home of the Boston University Terriers hockey team.
The rivalry is highlighted by its intensity and mutual contempt between both players and fans. For instance, after BU's victory over BC in the 1978 national championship, BU co-captain Jack O'Callahan was quoted as saying "We shouldn't have to beat BC for the nationals. Hell, we can do that anytime." In a 2005 Sports Illustrated article, BC senior captain Ryan Shannon said that "Every once in a while, out in a restaurant, you see familiar faces. But hockey culture is so humble. Outside the rink, you see those guys as human beings," but when the on the rink: "They're evil.
Read also: NHL Soundtracks: Exploring the Bruins' choice
Inside the BC-BU hockey rivalry
Key Moments and Games
The rivalry was amplified when on January 8, 2010, BC and BU faced off at Fenway Park, the first men's college hockey game to be played at Boston's iconic ballpark. A documentary about the rivalry entitled The Battle of Comm Ave. was released in 2009 by Rival Films.
On November 8, 2013, the teams faced off in the first non York-Parker matchup since 1994. The Eagles defeated the David Quinn-led Terriers 5-1 at Agganis Arena. Parker retired in the 2012-13 offseason after 40 years of coaching the Terriers.
During the 2020-21 season, Agganis Arena was unavailable for play, as it was being used for state COVID-19 pandemic purposes. Thus on February 6, 2021, Walter Brown Arena served as host for a matchup for the first time since January 17, 2004, where the Terries skated to a 3-1 win over No.
On December 9, 2022, the Eagles and Terriers met in the first matchup since 1972 that did not include at least one of Jerry York or Jack Parker as head coach of their respective team. York retired in the 2021-22 offseason after 50 years of coaching.
The 2023-24 season saw historic matchups between the two rivals. In their 292nd and 293rd all-time meetings on January 26-27, 2024, the schools battled for the first time as both the 1st and 2nd ranked teams in the country. The No. 2-ranked Boston College hosted the No. 1 ranked Terriers at Conte Forum in the opener of the home-and-home series, skating to 4-1 victory. BU hosted the Eagles at Agganis Arena the following night, with Boston College taking a 4-3 victory to earn the weekend sweep.
Read also: 2024-2025 BU Hockey Schedule
The No. 3-ranked Terriers would avenge their losses just a week later on February 5 by defeating the No. 1-ranked Eagles in the first round of the Beanpot, by a score of 4-3. The two teams would meet for a 4th time in the Hockey East championship game on March 23, once again as the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the nation.
During the 2024-25 season, Boston College won the first two meetings of the rivalry, defeating Boston University at Agganis Arena and Conte Forum. Boston University later won the 2025 Beanpot final, securing its 32nd tournament championship.
The Prank
During the final, an prank occurred involving members of the Boston University Dog Pound where members entered the Boston College student section disguised as BC students. These disguised Dog Pound members then proceeded to have the BC student section display a banner during the game which contained a derogatory message directed at Boston College.
Beyond Hockey
"The Green Line Rivalry" originally referred to the football rivalry between the schools, a series begun in 1893 and played annually from 1928 to 1942 and 1954 to 1962. In the 1954 to 1962 run of games both teams competed for the Sacred Cod Trophy in a round-robin series with Holy Cross.
With BC leading the series 27-4-1, BU discontinued the rivalry after the 1962 season; a game was scheduled to be played at Fenway Park in 1963 but was scrapped due to the John F.
The rivalry is predominant in men's soccer as well.
| Team | NCAA Championships | Beanpot Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College | 5 (1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012) | 20 |
| Boston University | 5 (1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009) | 31 |
| Harvard | 1 | 4 |
| Northeastern | 0 | 15 |