Looking at the NCAA championship brackets, I've noticed that the schools that host games appear to be randomly selected for sports like basketball and hockey. Is there any chance that Boston University could host some big postseason events in the near future?

Thanks for your question. We were pleased to host the 2006 Women's Lacrosse Final Four at Nickerson Field, which drew record crowds for that event. On the heels of that success, we successfully bid on the right to host the 2009 Women's Ice Hockey Frozen Four, to be held at Agganis Arena on March 20 and 22.

We will continue to bid on these types of marquee events that will allow us to bring national attention to Boston University and its Department of Athletics, as well as to the Boston area.

On a regional level, we are committed to bringing home as many conference events as possible. We recently hosted the 2008 America East Indoor Track and Field Championship in the Track and Tennis Center, and this event will return to that venue in 2009. Also in 2009, we will host the America East Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championship at the Competition Pool in the Fitness and Recreation Center.

Other conference events are hosted by the highest seed, or the team that finishes conference play in the regular season with the best record. As an example, we hosted the 2007 America East Field Hockey Championship because we finished in first place during the regular season. With the competitive nature of so many of our teams, there are a multitude of events we could host but would not know until their regular seasons conclude.

What criteria do you take into account when deciding which former student-athletes to nominate and induct into the BU Hall of Fame?

One of the things that continually impresses me about the Boston University Department of Athletics is its rich history of success. So many of our student-athletes and coaches have achieved so much, and the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame is a unique way for us to commemorate these achievements.

We have a committee, composed of current Hall of Fame members and representatives of the Department of Athletics, who annually sift through nominations to narrow an always-competitive field to a handful of most-deserving candidates. A final list is voted on by committee members, with the goal being to induct as many as four individuals annually.

This year, we will recognize Larry Davenport, Deidre Enos Andre Maksimov and Shawn McEachern at 5 pm on May 10, 2008, at the Trustees' Ballroom on the ninth floor of the BU School of Management. We want as many former letterwinners as possible to attend this special event. More information on our Athletic Hall of Fame, including a list of previous inductees, is available here.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. Keep them coming and we'll talk again next month!

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