Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry

Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry

Boston College Eagles Holy Cross Crusaders
First meeting	November 8, 1896
Latest meeting	November 22, 1986
Next meeting	September 8, 2018
Statistics
Meetings total	82
All-time series	Boston College leads, 47–32–3

Boston College

College of the Holy Cross

Locations in Massachusetts

The Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Boston College Eagles and Holy Cross Crusaders.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The two schools are located 41 miles apart from each other in Massachusetts. The teams have met 82 times. Boston College leads the series 48–31–3.^[6][7] The game has not been played since Holy Cross stopped sponsoring scholarship football in 1986.

History

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.^[8][9][10] For much of the early to mid 20th century, Boston College and Holy 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. In 1940, Boston College went into Fenway Park and shut out the Crusaders 7–0 en route to a perfect season and the program's only national title to date. On November 28, 1942, Holy Cross beat Boston College 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, they were absent when the club caught fire, killing 492.^[11]

But fortune did not always favor the Crusaders. By the late 1970s, the game had become more of a tradition, 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 Colonial League (now known as the Patriot League), and terminated the series. Boston College had won 17 of the last 20 games. With Holy Cross' restoration of full athletic scholarships, the series will resume again in 2018 and 2020, when Boston College is scheduled to host the Crusaders in a pair of games played at Alumni Stadium.^[12]

Game results

Boston College victories

Holy Cross victories

Ties

Date Location Winner Score November 8, 1896 Worcester Boston College 6–2 November 14, 1896 Boston Holy Cross 6–4 October 23, 1897 Worcester Holy Cross 10–4 November 25, 1897 Boston Boston College 12–0 November 5, 1898 Worcester Tie 0–0 November 25, 1898 Boston Boston College 11–0 November 30, 1899 Boston Boston College 17–0 November 9, 1901 Worcester Holy Cross 11–0 November 22, 1902 Boston Holy Cross 22–0 October 29, 1910 Worcester Holy Cross 34–3 September 23, 1911 Worcester Holy Cross 13–0 October 11, 1913 Worcester Holy Cross 13–0 November 14, 1914 Worcester Holy Cross 10–0 October 30, 1915 Chestnut Hill Holy Cross 9–0 December 2, 1916 Boston Boston College 17–14 November 10, 1917 Boston Boston College 34–6 November 15, 1919 Boston Boston College 9–7 December 2, 1920 Boston Boston College 14–0 November 26, 1921 Boston Holy Cross 41–0 December 2, 1922 Boston Boston College 17–13 December 1, 1923 Boston Boston College 16–7 November 29, 1924 Boston Holy Cross 33–0 November 28, 1925 Boston Boston College 17–6 November 27, 1926 Boston Tie 0–0 November 29, 1927 Boston Boston College 6–0 December 1, 1928 Boston Boston College 19–0 November 30, 1929 Boston Boston College 12–0 November 29, 1930 Boston Holy Cross 7–0 November 26, 1931 Boston Holy Cross 7–6 November 26, 1932 Worcester Tie 0–0 December 2, 1933 Chestnut Hill Boston College 13–9 December 1, 1934 Chestnut Hill Holy Cross 7–2 November 30, 1935 Chestnut Hill Holy Cross 20–6 November 28, 1936 Boston Boston College 13–12 November 27, 1937 Boston Holy Cross 20–0 November 26, 1938 Boston Holy Cross 29–7 December 2, 1939 Boston Boston College 14–0 November 30, 1940 Boston Boston College 7–0 November 29, 1941 Boston Boston College 14–13 November 28, 1942 Boston Holy Cross 55–12 November 26, 1944 Boston Holy Cross 30–14 November 25, 1945 Boston Holy Cross 46–0 Date Location Winner Score November 30, 1946 Boston Holy Cross 13–6 November 29, 1947 Boston Holy Cross 20–6 November 27, 1948 Boston Boston College 21–20 November 26, 1949 Boston Boston College 76–0 December 2, 1950 Boston Holy Cross 32–14 December 1, 1951 Boston Boston College 19–14 November 29, 1952 Boston Holy Cross 21–7 November 28, 1953 Boston Boston College 6–0 November 27, 1954 Boston Boston College 31–13 November 26, 1955 Boston Boston College 26–7 December 1, 1956 Boston Holy Cross 7–0 November 30, 1957 Worcester Holy Cross 14–0 December 6, 1958 Chestnut Hill Boston College 26–8 November 28, 1959 Worcester Boston College 14–0 November 26, 1960 Chestnut Hill Holy Cross 16–12 December 2, 1961 Worcester Holy Cross 38–26 December 1, 1962 Chestnut Hill Boston College 48–12 November 30, 1963 Worcester Holy Cross 9–0 November 28, 1964 Chestnut Hill Boston College 10–8 November 27, 1965 Worcester Boston College 35–0 November 26, 1966 Chestnut Hill Holy Cross 32–26 December 2, 1967 Worcester Boston College 13–6 November 30, 1968 Chestnut Hill Boston College 40–20 November 28, 1970 Chestnut Hill Boston College 54–0 November 27, 1971 Foxboro Boston College 21–7 December 2, 1972 Chestnut Hill Boston College 41–11 December 1, 1973 Worcester Boston College 42–21 November 30, 1974 Chestnut Hill Boston College 38–6 November 29, 1975 Worcester Boston College 24–10 November 27, 1976 Chestnut Hill Boston College 59–6 November 26, 1977 Worcester Holy Cross 35–20 December 2, 1978 Chestnut Hill Holy Cross 30–29 December 1, 1979 Worcester Boston College 13–10 November 29, 1980 Chestnut Hill Boston College 27–26 November 28, 1981 Worcester Boston College 28–24 November 20, 1982 Chestnut Hill Boston College 35–10 November 19, 1983 Foxboro Boston College 47–7 December 1, 1984 Worcester Boston College 45–10 November 23, 1985 Chestnut Hill Boston College 38–7 November 22, 1986 Worcester Boston College 56–26 Series: Boston College leads 47–32–3

^[13]

References

1. "Rivalry renewed: Holy Cross and Boston College football foes again". Telegram & Gazette. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
2. "Boston College, Holy Cross Schedule Two-Game Football Series In 2018, 2020". bcinterruption.com. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
3. "Boston College, Holy Cross Schedule 2-Game Football Series for 2018 and 2020". fbschedules.com. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
4. "Boston College, Holy Cross to renew old rivalry in 2018, 2020". CBS Sports. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
5. "BC and Holy Cross to meet in football in 2018 and 2020". The Boston Globe. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
6. "Boston College, Holy Cross renew gridiron rivalry". Associated Press. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
7. "Heroes of the Gridiron". College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
8. Carew, Wally (2012). 'A Farewell to Glory: The Rise and Fall of an Epic Football Rivalry Boston College vs. Holy Cross. Bloomington, Indiana: Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 978-1-4797-0250-3.
9. Beck, Stan, and Jack Wilkinson (2013). College Sports Traditions: Picking Up Butch, Silent Night, and Hundreds of Others. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8108-9120-3.
10. "Boston College-Holy Cross: A Former Thanksgiving Tradition". boston.sportsthenandnow.com. November 24, 2011. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
11. "Sports of The Times; The Upset, the Party, the Fire". The New York Times. November 22, 1992. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
12. "Holy Cross to resume rivalry with Boston College". WCSH. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
13. "Boston College vs Holy Cross (MA)". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved 2014-08-29.