Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry

Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry

Teams	Boston College Eagles Holy Cross Crusaders

Boston College

College of the Holy Cross

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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. 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. 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. 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.

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.

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