Holy Cross Crusaders

The Holy Cross Crusaders represent the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, one of the founding members of the FCS-level Patriot League. Purple-clad and academically rigorous, Holy Cross has quietly built one of the most dominant recent runs in the conference, reeling off six straight Patriot League titles from 2019 to 2024. The Crusaders' identity is built on disciplined, well-coached football at a small Jesuit institution that punches well above its enrollment. It's a program with real history behind it, not just recent success.

Holy Cross began playing football in the 1880s, with regular intercollegiate games starting in 1891. Under coach Eddie Anderson, the Crusaders captured national titles in 1947, 1948, and 1949, and the program later added a Division I-AA national championship in 1987 behind an undefeated 11-0 season. As a founding member of the Patriot League, Holy Cross has claimed 12 conference championships since 1986, second only to Lehigh, punctuated by a recent stretch of six consecutive titles from 2019-2024.