Holy Cross

Specialties

The mission of the athletic department of the College of the Holy Cross is to promote the intellectual, physical, and moral development of students. Through Division I athletic participation, our young male and female student-​athletes learn a self-​discipline that has both present and long-​term effects; the interplay of individual and team effort; pride and self-​esteem in both victory and defeat; a skillful management of time; personal endurance and courage; and the complex relationships between friendship, leadership and service. Our athletics program, in the words of the college mission statement, calls for a «community marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility.»

History

Established in 1843.

Holy Cross sponsors 27 varsity sports; all but two of which compete at the NCAA Division I level (FCS for football) and NCAA Division I Hockey. The Crusaders are members of the Patriot League, the Atlantic Hockey Association, the Division III Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference in women’s hockey, and the Big South Conference in women’s golf. Of its 25 varsity teams, Holy Cross supports twelve men’s and thirteen women’s sports. The carrying of 23 Division I varsity programs gives Holy Cross the largest ratio of teams-​per-​enrollment in the country.