Holy Cross Crusaders football The Holy Cross Crusaders football team is the collegiate football program of the College of the Holy Cross . The team is a member of the Patriot League , an NCAA Division I conference that participates in the second - level Football Championship Subdivision , more commonly known as FCS or the subdivision ' s former designation of I - AA . The team plays their home games at Fitton Field . History . Football began at Holy Cross in 1884 with games against teams from other schools beginning in 1891 . Starting in 1896 the Holy Cross Football team played at the Worcester Oval . The first home game played at Holy Cross was a 6 - 0 defeat of Massachusetts Agricultural College on September 26 , 1903 . In 1908 the football field was moved to next to the baseball field which bears the same name ( Fitton Field ) . Since 1910 , the Holy Cross Crusader " Goodtime " Marching Band has performed half time shows at home football games . The original 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 ' s All - American back Bill Osmanski in his last home game . Boston College Rivalry . In 1896 , Holy Cross and Boston College played the first football game between the two schools starting one of the most storied rivalries in college football . For much of the early to mid 20th century , BC and The Cross drew some of New England ' s largest sports crowds . To accommodate larger crowds , the Holy Cross game was routinely held at larger venues off campus , with the 1916 matchup taking place at the newly constructed Fenway Park . A record 54 , 000 attended the 1922 game at Braves Field , home of the Boston Braves baseball team . On November 28 , 1942 , Holy Cross beat BC in a huge upset by a score of 55 – 12 . The game is still the most famous between the two foes , not only for its result 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 when the club caught fire , killing nearly 500 . But fortune did not always favor the Crusaders . By the late 1970s the Holy Cross game had become more of a tradition than a rivalry , as Holy Cross had ceased to be a major power in football . By 1980 , the game was no longer part of the student ticket package , and was mostly attended by alumni . In 1986 Holy Cross changed the direction of its football program , joining the Division I - AA Patriot League , and terminated the series . BC had won 17 of the last 20 games . 1946 Orange Bowl . In 1946 Holy Cross brought their best team in school history to the Orange Bowl only to feel the heartbreak they gave BC four years earlier . On January 1 , 1946 Holy Cross faced off against the University of Miami for the Orange Bowl title . 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 . A Glorious Decade . 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 football program struggled to compete with the bigger schools . In the early 1980s things changed . HC enjoyed a football renaissance for a decade starting in 1981 with coaches Rick Carter ( 35 - 19 - 2 ) and especially Mark Duffner ( 60 - 5 - 1 ) . In 1983 the team was No . 3 in the nation in 1 - AA under Carter . Later under Duffner Holy Cross became the nation ' s most successful 1 - AA program . There were 11 - 0 seasons in both 1987 and 1991 . Holy Cross won five Patriot League championships , four Lambert Cups , and four ECAC Team of the Year Awards . It also earned the No . 1 ranking in the final 1987 NCAA Division 1 - AA poll . In 1987 running back / defensive back Gordie Lockbaum finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting . In the midst of these winning seasons Holy Cross changed the direction of its football program . In 1986 it joined the Patriot League , a conference that currently does not allow its member schools to award athletic scholarships for football ( but allows them for other sports , with the recipients ineligible to play football ; starting in 2013 , football scholarships will be allowed ) . Today Holy Cross continues its football tradition , although more in line with its enrollment of under 3000 students . 2009 season . In 2009 , Holy Cross had one of its best teams since the founding of the Patriot League , led by the team ' s star Quarterback Dominic Randolph . The Crusaders won the league title and earned an automatic berth to the FCS playoffs , where they lost in the first round to eventual national champion Villanova . Bowl game appearances . Hall of Fame Honors . Pro Football Hall of Fame : College Football Hall of Fame :