| Holy Cross Crusaders football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1891; 134 years ago (1891)[a] | ||
| Athletic director | Kit Hughes | ||
| Head coach | Dan Curran 1st season, 6–6 (.500) | ||
| Stadium | Fitton Field (capacity: 23,500) | ||
| Field surface | Grass | ||
| Location | Worcester, Massachusetts | ||
| Conference | Patriot League | ||
| All-time record | 638–521–55 (.548) | ||
| Bowl record | 0–1 (.000) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 1 (1987) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 6 (1983, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) | ||
| Playoff record | 2–6 | ||
| Conference titles | 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 (Co-Champion) (Patriot League) | ||
| Rivalries | Boston College EaglesFordham Rams | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors | Royal purple[1] | ||
| Fight song | Chu! Chu! Rah! Rah! | ||
| Marching band | Holy Cross Goodtime Marching Band | ||
| Outfitter | Adidas | ||
| Website | GoHolyCross.com | ||
TheHoly Cross Crusaders football team is thecollegiate American football program of theCollege of the Holy Cross inWorcester, Massachusetts. The team is a member of thePatriot League, anNCAA Division I conference that participates in theFootball Championship Subdivision (FCS). The team plays its home games atFitton Field on the college campus.
Football began at Holy Cross in 1884, with games against teams from other schools beginning in 1891. Early home games were played at several off-campus facilities in Worcester, including the Worcester College Grounds,Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds and theWorcester Oval. The first intercollegiate game played on campus was a 6–0 defeat ofMassachusetts Agricultural College on September 26, 1903, on the site of what is nowHanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field. In 1908, the football team moved toits own field adjacent to the baseball field, though both were known as "Fitton Field". Since 1910, theHoly Cross Crusader "Goodtime" Marching Band has performed halftime shows at home football games.[2]
The original Fitton Field was built with wooden and concrete stands. These were replaced with steel stands in 1924 and aluminum seating in 1986. The largest crowd ever to pack Fitton Field was the 27,000 who showed up to see Holy Cross'sAll-American backBill Osmanski in his last home game in 1938.
In 1896, Holy Cross andBoston College played the first football game between the two schools, starting theBoston College–Holy Cross football rivalry. For much of the early to mid 20th century, BC and The Cross drew some ofNew England's largest sports crowds. To accommodate larger crowds, the Holy Cross game was routinely held at a large venue inBoston, with the 1916 matchup taking place at the newly constructedFenway Park. A record 54,000 attended the 1922 game atBraves Field, home of theBoston Braves baseball team. On November 28, 1942, Holy Cross beat BC in a huge upset 55–12. The game is still the most famous between the two foes, not only for its result (which spoiled BC's undefeated season) but also its aftermath. The Eagles had booked their victory party that night at the popular Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, but canceled after the loss. As a result, the BC team was absent whenthe club caught fire, killing nearly 500.
But fortune did not always favor the Crusaders, and the series was suspended in 1986 after BC had won 17 games over a 20-year span. After an over three-decade hiatus, the series resumed in 2018 as Holy Cross traveled toChestnut Hill to take on Boston College. A rematch was held in 2023, which BC won 31–28.
In 1945, Holy Cross brought its best team in school history to theOrange Bowl. On January 1, 1946, Holy Cross lost to theUniversity of Miami in its only bowl appearance. With the score tied 6–6 and only seconds remaining in regulation, Holy Cross was intercepted by Miami's Al Hudson, who ran the ball 89 yards for a touchdown. The final score was 13–6.
In 1969, Holy Cross had to cancel the final eight games of the season when a contaminated faucet on a practice field led to an outbreak of hepatitis. Through the 1970s Holy Cross continued to play major East Coast football powers, but the Crusaders struggled to compete with the bigger schools.
In 1981, the NCAA dropped Holy Cross from the upper tier of football competition to Division I-AA. Holy Cross enjoyed a football renaissance over the next decade under coachesRick E. Carter (35–19–2) and especiallyMark Duffner (60–5–1). In 1983, the team was No. 3 in the nation in I-AA under Carter. Under Duffner, Holy Cross became the nation's most successful I-AA program. There were 11–0 seasons in both 1987 and 1991. Holy Cross won fiveColonial League and Patriot League championships, fourLambert Cups, and four ECAC Team of the Year Awards. It also earned the No. 1 ranking in the final 1987 NCAA Division I-AA poll. In 1987 running back/defensive backGordie Lockbaum finished third in theHeisman Trophy balloting after finishing fifth in 1986.
In the midst of these winning seasons, Holy Cross changed the direction of its football program. In 1986 it joined the Colonial League, a football-only conference that adopted theIvy League model of need-based financial aid and grants rather than formalathletic scholarships. In 1990, the Colonial League became an all-sports conference and changed its name to the Patriot League; over time, it began allowing scholarships in non-football sports (with the recipients ineligible to play football), but continued to prohibit football scholarships through the 2012 season. In 2013, the Patriot League transitioned back to traditional scholarship football followingFordham’s decision to offer football scholarships in 2010.
In2009, Holy Cross had one of its best teams since the founding of the Patriot League, led by star quarterbackDominic Randolph. The Crusaders won the league title and earned an automatic berth to the FCS playoffs, where they lost in the first round to eventualnational championVillanova.
Bob Chesney took over as Holy Cross head coach in 2018. In his first season, the Crusaders won their last 4 games to finish second in the Patriot League, notching a 4-2Patriot League record and 5-6 overall standing.[3]
The Crusaders' 2019 campaign produced a Patriot League title and a 5-1 conference standing, paired with a 7-6 record overall.[4] Holy Cross earned an automatic berth to the FCS playoffs, where they lost in the first round toMonmouth.
In a shortened 2021 spring season, the Crusaders went undefeated in Patriot League play (3-0) and won the league title for the second year in a row.[5]
In the fall 2021 season, the Crusaders won their third Patriot League Championship in a row, going 6-0 in conference play and 10-3 overall.[6] The season also marked the first FCS playoff victory for Holy Cross, a 13-10 win overSacred Heart in the first round. The Crusaders saw their season end once again at the hands ofVillanova, however.
The 2022 season saw the team post an undefeated 11–0 regular season record, highlighted by a win at FBS opponentBuffalo and a sweep ofHarvard andYale.[7] Their success saw them receive the #8 seed in the FCS playoffs, which carried with it a first-round bye and a home game in the round of 16. In poor weather conditions, the Crusaders took outNew Hampshire 35-19 inWorcester to advance to play #1 overall seedSouth Dakota State, eventually losing 42-21.[8]
Chesney left the program following the 2023 season after being hired as head coach ofJames Madison.[9] He was succeeded by Merrimack'sDan Curran.[10]
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | John DaGrosa | Orange Bowl | Miami | L 6–13 |
The Crusaders have appeared in the FCS playoffs six times with an overall record of 2–6.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Quarterfinals | Western Carolina | L 21–28 |
| 2009 | First Round | Villanova | L 28–38 |
| 2019 | First Round | Monmouth | L 27–44 |
| 2020 | First Round | South Dakota State | L 3–31 |
| 2021 | First Round Second Round | Sacred Heart Villanova | W 13–10 L 16–21 |
| 2022 | Second Round Quarterfinals | New Hampshire South Dakota State | W 35–19 L 21–42 |
Holy Cross has made 39 appearances in theAP Poll since it was introduced for the 1936 season, peaking at No. 9 in 1938.[11] Holy Cross has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season 5 times:
| Year | Rank | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 14 | 8–0–2 |
| 1938 | 9 | 8–1 |
| 1942 | 19 | 5–4–1 |
| 1945 | 16 | 8–1 |
| 1951 | 19 | 8–2 |
College Football Hall of Fame:
Future non-conference opponents announced as of March 3, 2025.[12]
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| atNorthern Illinois | atMiami (OH) | Central Connecticut | atNavy | atSan Jose State |
| atNew Hampshire | Yale | atYale | atCentral Connecticut | |
| Rhode Island | Yale | |||
| atYale | ||||
| Harvard |
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