Back in the middle of the 20th century, Boston College was intense rivals with nearby Catholic college Holy Cross. This worked well—not only were the two schools within an hour of each other, but they were similarly competitive in football and basketball. There was so much hype around the annual football game that BC wins were celebrated with a school-wide dance. Eventually, though, the rivalry faded.

"The easy way out was really tempting, especially as I watched many of my friends and teammates commit to their dream schools."