Holy Cross and Fordham to Compete in Ram-Crusader Cup at Yankee Stadium

The College of the Holy Cross Crusaders will host the Fordham University Rams at Yankee Stadium as the two teams compete for the 31st Ram-Crusader Cup on November 12. Kick-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

“At Holy Cross we are always looking for ways to further enhance the experience of our student-athletes,” says Holy Cross director of athletics Nathan Pine. “Having the opportunity this year to play a game at Yankee Stadium is something our players will remember long after their football careers are over. This will be a special event for everyone involved: our student-athletes, coaches and our fans on the biggest stage in an atmosphere similar to that of a bowl game.”

“We are excited not to just be playing at Yankee Stadium but to be playing the annual Ram-Crusader Cup at the stadium,” says Fordham director of athletics David Roach. “To be playing such a meaningful game at one of the most iconic venues in the country will be a career highlight for the student-athletes from both schools.”

The Ram-Crusader Cup is played in memory of Major Frank W. Cavanaugh, who was an outstanding figure in football, coaching both Fordham and Holy Cross. A war veteran enlisted in the 102nd Field Artillery of New England’s 26th “Yankee Division,” “Cav,” as he was known, was wounded in battle and released from service after World War I with the rank of major.

Each school has chosen honorary captains, who will take the field for the coin toss. Representing Holy Cross will be Vince Promuto ’60, former Washington Redskins All-Pro guard and a lawyer; and Gordie Lockbaum ’88, a Heisman Trophy contender, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and vice president of Sullivan insurance group. Fordham honorary captains include Andy Lukac ’51, captain of one of the best football teams Fordham ever fielded and recruited by Vince Lombardi and John Skelton ’10, award-winning quarterback drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. In honor of Veteran’s Day, the third honorary captain from each side will be a member of the military.

Since the first gridiron clash between the Rams and the Crusaders in November of 1902, the rivalry has been fierce. This game will mark the fourth time the Crusaders have played in Yankee Stadium. To add to the competition, brothers Charlie Murray, a sophomore offensive lineman at Fordham, and James Murray, a senior offensive lineman at Holy Cross, will play against each other in the game. “The stage of Yankee stadium is something that I can't even imagine,” shares James Murray, an economics major and Chinese minor. “Between the amount of alumni and students from Holy Cross, alumni from our high school [Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill.,] and the large amount of family members that will be in attendance for the game, it’s going to be a very surreal experience.”

The series between Fordham and Holy Cross was interrupted after the 1954 season when Fordham dropped football, but was resumed in 1990 when the Rams joined the Crusaders as members of the Patriot League. The trophy has been fought for in some exotic places, as the two teams battled in the 1991 Wild Geese Classic in Limerick, Ireland, and the 1995 Bermuda Bowl contest in Hamilton, Bermuda.

For more information and a list of events visit http://ram-crusadercup.com.