Where BU Students Watch the “Big Game”
In a city so heavily influenced by sports, there is no shortage of places to watch our favorite games.
By Allyn Tucker
Between the Celtics, the Patriots, the Red Sox, and the Revolution, few cities have more intense fan bases than Boston. With almost the entire city banking on the success of Boston sports, there is an overwhelming number of watch parties to choose from when gameday comes around. In the wake of yesterday’s Super Bowl, Boston University students search for the best places to watch their favorite games.
Right on the edge of BU’s campus, Boston’s famous Fenway Park is not only home to the Red Sox but an entire neighborhood of restaurants, bars, and merchandise stores dedicated to Boston sports. While the Red Sox may be out of season, Fenway’s collection of sports bars could never be. For football, basketball, and, of course, baseball fans, Cask ‘n Flagon is filled with screens to view the big game from any seat and any angle. Lansdowne Pub, an Irish bar, also uses its European influence to attract soccer fanatics. Any Fenway spot is the ideal environment for sports lovers, and last night’s Super Bowl only further proves it.
For sports fans under the legal drinking age who cannot indulge in the sports bar environment, BU’s campus offers alternative options. The recently reopened Sunset Cantina, revamped by a BU alum and located on Commonwealth Avenue, hosts many celebrations, including Sunday’s Super Bowl Fiesta. The Mexican restaurant’s upbeat atmosphere is perfect for games without the commotion that comes with a typical sports bar.
The easiest option for enjoying a big game, and frequently underrated, is an at-home watch party. BU’s housing on both East and West Campus includes lounge rooms with a television or a projector. On-campus watch parties can be a great way to meet new people. In 2022, students gathered in front of the projector screen in Warren Towers to watch the release of Taylor Swift’s Midnights and huddled around the lobby TV in Rich Hall to watch the FIFA World Cup.
More recently, students in dorms and apartments alike hosted watch parties for the Super Bowl, complete with snacks, photo backdrops, and football. This affordable and creative option is perfect for the NBA playoffs later in the spring, where the Celtics are poised to be the East’s top seed, or the MLB opening day in March.
BU hosts an incredibly diverse community, but sports tend to unite students all over campus, no matter if their team preference makes them friends or foes. Showing up to community events and lively environments to watch your favorite sports provides an opportunity to connect with people beyond the big game.