Fordham vs. Holy Cross

Fordham and Holy Cross first met in 1902 and have played 38 times; Holy Cross leads the series 23–⁠14–⁠1. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Holy Cross 8–⁠2. The winner takes home the Ram–Crusader Cup, played for since 1951. Fordham has held it since the 2025 game.

Fordham wins
14
Holy Cross wins
23
Ties
1
First meeting
1902
Longest streak
8 Holy Cross
Current streak
1 Fordham
Last 10 meetings
Holy Cross 8–⁠2
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1900s1–⁠4
1920s2–⁠0
1930s1–⁠0–⁠1
1940s0–⁠2
1950s0–⁠4
2000s4–⁠3
2010s5–⁠5
2020s1–⁠5
Average margin
12.2 points; 21 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Fordham
3–⁠8 Fordham’s record at home
At Holy Cross
13–⁠6–⁠1 Holy Cross’s record at home
Neutral sites
5–⁠2 Fordham first
Shutouts
4

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Ram–Crusader Cup

Played for since
1951
Held by
Fordham since the 2025 game
Games for it on file
26 Holy Cross 16, Fordham 10

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since 1951 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The rivalry’s article counts the games for it: Holy Cross leads, 24–⁠16. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Ram–Crusader Cup.

The Ram–Crusader Cup
The Ram–Crusader CupPhoto: PrideMatters, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Games that tell the story

  1. Fordham’s biggest win2016: Fordham 54, Holy Cross 14by 40 points
  2. Holy Cross’s biggest win1947: Holy Cross 48, Fordham 0by 48 points
  3. Upset2025: Fordham 26, Holy Cross 21Fordham had a 32% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2005: Fordham 24, Holy Cross 20Fordham had a 34% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2017: Holy Cross 42, Fordham 20Holy Cross had a 35% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsFordhamSeriesHoly Cross
1951–⁠1954Ed Danowski0–⁠4Edward Anderson

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Fordham’s side (Danowski 0–⁠4 against Anderson). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Fordham and Holy Cross, 1902 on130015001700192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

From the newspapers

  • The New-York tribune's story of the 1906 game: HOLY CROSS DEFEATS FoRDHAM Game Hard Fought and Little 10 Choose Between Two Elerens.

    1906 · New-York tribune, New York, Nov 4, 1906

  • The Waterbury evening Democrat's story of the 1906 game: Holy cro.. Win Rough Game.

    1906 · Waterbury evening Democrat, Nov 30, 1906

  • The The Washington herald's story of the 1909 game: HOLY CROSS 0UTPLAYED. FOrdham Downs Its Rival by Score Of . TO 3

    1909 · The Washington herald, District of Columbia, Nov 21, 1909

  • The Evening star's story of the 1929 game: FORDHAM EXTENDED TO BEAT HOLY CROSS

    1929 · Evening star, Washington, D.C., Oct 20, 1929

  • The Evening star's story of the 1930 game: LAST WHISTLE KILLS HOLY CROSS SCORE Fordham Wins, go, With Rivals Losing Ball on One Yard Line at Close.

    1930 · Evening star, Washington, D.C., Oct 19, 1930

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

Every game

Nov 21, 2026Fordham at Holy Cross upcomingat Holy Cross
Sep 27, 2025Fordham 26, Holy Cross 21at Fordham
Oct 12, 2024Holy Cross 19, Fordham 16at Holy Cross
Oct 28, 2023Holy Cross 49, Fordham 47at Fordham
Oct 29, 2022Holy Cross 53, Fordham 52at Holy Cross
Nov 13, 2021Holy Cross 52, Fordham 24at Fordham
Mar 27, 2021Holy Cross 34, Fordham 24at Holy Cross
Nov 16, 2019Holy Cross 49, Fordham 27at Fordham
Nov 10, 2018Holy Cross 17, Fordham 13at Holy Cross
Nov 4, 2017Holy Cross 42, Fordham 20at Fordham
Nov 12, 2016Fordham 54, Holy Cross 14at Holy Cross
Oct 17, 2015Fordham 47, Holy Cross 41Coffey Field
Sep 27, 2014Fordham 45, Holy Cross 16at Holy Cross
Nov 2, 2013Fordham 32, Holy Cross 30Coffey Field
Oct 27, 2012Fordham 36, Holy Cross 32at Holy Cross
Nov 19, 2011Holy Cross 41, Fordham 21Coffey Field
Oct 2, 2010Holy Cross 36, Fordham 31at Holy Cross
Oct 31, 2009Holy Cross 41, Fordham 27Coffey Field
Nov 8, 2008Holy Cross 38, Fordham 17at Holy Cross
Nov 3, 2007Fordham 24, Holy Cross 21Coffey Field
Sep 30, 2006Holy Cross 28, Fordham 21at Holy Cross
Oct 29, 2005Fordham 24, Holy Cross 20Coffey Field
Oct 2, 2004Fordham 42, Holy Cross 35at Holy Cross
Nov 8, 2003Fordham 49, Holy Cross 28Neutral site
Nov 13, 1954Holy Cross 20, Fordham 19at Fordham
Nov 21, 1953Holy Cross 20, Fordham 7at Holy Cross
Oct 4, 1952Holy Cross 12, Fordham 7at Holy Cross
Oct 6, 1951Holy Cross 54, Fordham 20at Holy Cross
Nov 13, 1948Holy Cross 13, Fordham 6at Holy Cross
Nov 22, 1947Holy Cross 48, Fordham 0at Holy Cross
Oct 17, 1931Holy Cross 6, Fordham 6at Holy Cross
Oct 18, 1930Fordham 6, Holy Cross 0at Holy Cross
Oct 19, 1929Fordham 7, Holy Cross 0at Fordham
Oct 20, 1928Fordham 19, Holy Cross 13at Holy Cross
Nov 20, 1909Fordham 9, Holy Cross 5at Fordham
Nov 29, 1906Holy Cross 15, Fordham 6at Fordham
Nov 3, 1906Holy Cross 8, Fordham 5at Holy Cross
Nov 30, 1905Holy Cross 28, Fordham 5at Fordham
Nov 15, 1902Holy Cross 17, Fordham 0at Fordham

Every game is listed as played on the field.