Family First, BC Always

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The office-suite belonging to the William V. Campbell Director of Athletics is perched above Alumni Stadium section B, stretching from about the five-yard line to the 20. Its lengthy bank of picture windows offers a panoramic vista of the entire playing field, giving it one of the best views on campus.

On top of the view, the suite’s size—more than 600 square feet—and L-shaped configuration are ideal for game-day hosting. That’s why BC legends like Zay Flowers, Doug Flutie, Alison Crowther, Jerry York, Tom Coughlin, Jack Bicknell, and others have spent time there on at least one fall Saturday. Since 2022, their official host has been Blake James, who came to the Heights after eight years as athletic director at the University of Miami.

Like many kids from Minnesota, James grew up with dreams of playing in the NHL. Eventually he realized that wasn’t going to happen, but he still wanted to work in sports. So he started his athletics administration career in ticket sales at Miami.

“I had two sets of yellow pages, two sets of white pages, and a phone—my task was to call people and sell them tickets,” he recalls. “To do that job you have to have persistence, you have to be driven, and you have to be competitive. I think everything I learned through that experience has helped me get to where I am today.”

Today, James is a respected leader in college athletics, having served in major NCAA governance roles—including chairing the Division I Council, the body responsible for day‐to‐day oversight of all Division I athletics. He has also held leadership positions within the ACC and was selected as one of four national recipients of the Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year award in 2016.

Game days in the AD’s suite are a family affair—some say James’s wife, Kelly, is the real host—and their children, Haley and Ryan, are regular visitors.

No matter who is on the guest list, the Jameses take great pride in providing a welcoming atmosphere, fully leaning into the idea of “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.” Yet the BC family doesn’t just come together once a week on Saturday, and their love for BC rises above all else. “This is such an incredible community that places an emphasis on competing for championships while never straying from our core mission of graduating our students and providing them with an incredible experience during their time in Chestnut Hill,” James says. “I believe that makes us unique and I am honored to play a small role in our campus life.”

Family is the lens through which James sees his entire job, and he treats student-athletes like he would his own kids. When speaking about them, he beams with pride at their accomplishments, and one of the first things you see when you walk into his office is a giant collage of photos featuring Eagles from every BC sport. It’s a tangible way of expressing that each athlete deserves a meaningful BC experience.

Embracing the Mission

James believes BC’s greatest advantage is the kind of student‐athlete it attracts, and ideal Eagles “check a lot of boxes.” They are bright, embrace the Jesuit educational tradition, seek growth, and are up for a challenge. “Whether you put them in a classroom or on a court, they’re going to strive to be the best,” James says. They also understand the long‐term value of choosing BC. “The young people that we’re bringing here really are looking at the total experience … the value of a BC degree is going to open more doors than just being a BC athlete.”

The results speak for themselves. BC student‐athletes perform among the nation’s best academically. In fall 2025, Eagles had a collective GPA over 3.2 and 74 percent made the ACC honor roll. The program’s 2025 graduation success rate of 97 tied for second in the ACC across all sports and was third among all Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

James has embraced the BC mission since arriving at the Heights, taking part in formation opportunities like the Ignatian Colleagues Program and seeing up close how deeply that ethos shapes life on campus. He notes that “there’s so much more to the experience here, not only for our students, but also for us as employees,” and that BC’s investment in forming men and women for others influences “everything that we do here.” That commitment is unmistakable in the community: Last year, 99 percent of student‐athletes engaged in service, contributing 25,000 hours and earning national recognition through the NCAA Community Engagement Impact Award and the Fiesta Bowl Community Service Award from James’s peers in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Solidifying the Future

Attracting the right student-athletes to BC starts with access, and scholarships have a significant impact. Last year, BC awarded scholarships to 350 student-athletes, totaling more than $30 million, a number that will continue to climb with changes to roster limits and the rising cost of education. The endowment only covers about one-third of the total scholarship investment and the remainder comes from the University’s operating budget. Additional donor support is essential. “The more endowment we create, the more opportunity it gives the institution to fund areas that we need to continue to grow and improve,” James says, adding that tools and resources that enhance student-athlete performance as well as maintenance and improvements to facilities are among the biggest areas of need.

Endowment support is one of the department’s top fundraising priorities. “I have joked many times publicly that I’m the largest parent on this campus—my tuition bill is over $30 million,” James says. “Support of endowment—whether that be coaching, scholarship, or operational endowment—solidifies the future of our program and helps us achieve at a much greater level.” Strengthening the Flynn Fund is another major priority. Unlike endowment support, Flynn Fund gifts are unrestricted and can be put to use immediately, offering James the flexibility to support the areas of greatest or urgent need across the department.

Even with enhanced philanthropic support, BC is operating in a rapidly changing environment. Under the 2025 House v. NCAA settlement, institutions may now directly compensate student-athletes through revenues generated from media rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships. BC has committed to participating at the maximum permitted level, aligning with peers across the Power Four conferences. Student-athletes are also permitted to profit from the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and to transfer more freely between universities. These recent changes are reshaping how student‐athletes make enrollment decisions, which can dramatically impact roster continuity and team success. BC must keep pace to remain competitive not only on the court, field, or ice but also on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal.

Within that reality, James says frankly that BC teams need to win more. He also recognizes that while new opportunities exist for student-athletes, the vast majority come to BC because of scholarships and the ability to receive a transformative education. It’s another reason why philanthropic support is so important. “A better endowed athletics program will allow us to more nimbly respond to the changing landscape of college athletics, including our ability to participate in revenue sharing and provide additional scholarships to compete with ACC peers,” James says, adding: “Money doesn’t guarantee winning, but the more investment we make, the greater probability that we win.”

Staying True to Our Values

“When our programs succeed, it elevates the entire institution,” James adds. Long referred to as BC’s “front porch,” athletics is one of the most visible gateways to the University, a point of entry for people who may not otherwise engage with the Heights but feel a connection through its teams. BC is the only Power Four institution in New England, so it occupies a unique place in the region’s sports landscape. “We have an incredible opportunity to shine a national spotlight on Boston College,” James says.

One measuring stick for the department’s success is the NACDA’s Learfield Director’s Cup rankings, which recognize institutions that maintain broad-based athletics programs for achieving success in both men’s and women’s sports. Since James arrived, BC’s Director’s Cup ranking has risen from #109 to #66. In the next five years, he would like to match the University’s U.S. News & World Report ranking, which currently sits at #36. How could that benefit BC? “Everyone loves a winner,” James says. “And the more we win, the more people we bring, the more excitement it creates, the more opportunities it has to positively impact the entire campus community.”

The college sports landscape is becoming more complex. Expectations, as well as the cost of doing business, continue to rise. The margin for error grows ever smaller. Through it all, BC remains consistent; James is adamant that the University won’t chase trends that don’t fit its mission. He says that BC must be “smart, not reactive,” especially in an environment where rules shift quickly and the pressure to keep up can push institutions into decisions that don’t align with who they are. “We’re going to compete at the highest level,” he says, “and we’re going to do it in a way that reflects the values of Boston College.”

That’s a future the entire BC family can be proud of.