The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Except for the Ivy League, it is the most selective group of higher education institutions in NCAA Division I, and has a very high student-athlete graduation rate for both the NCAA graduation success rate and the federal graduation rate.
Fitton Field is a football stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts, primarily used for College of the Holy Cross sporting events. The stadium opened in 1908 as the official home for the Holy Cross Crusaders football team. Before that, most games were played on the adjoining baseball field. The stadium has a capacity of 23,500.
The Lafayette Leopards represent the 23 Division I varsity athletic teams of Lafayette College and compete in the Patriot League. There are 11 men's teams, 11 women's teams, and one co-ed team. The club teams also compete as the Leopards. Though not a varsity sport, crew and ice hockey are very competitive at Lafayette and play in intercollegiate club leagues.
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts in NCAA Division I competition. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays their home games in the Hart Center. The program boasts such notable alumni as Boston Celtics legends Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, and longtime Providence College basketball coach Joe Mullaney. Under coach Doggie Julian, the Crusaders won a national championship in 1947. It is the only school from Massachusetts to win an NCAA tournament. Dave Paulsen was appointed the program's 19th head coach on March 28, 2023.
The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League. In ice hockey, a sport not sponsored by the Patriot League for either sex, the Crusaders are members of two other leagues, with men competing in the Atlantic Hockey Association and women in Hockey East. The men's rowing team is part of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges. Of its 25 varsity teams, Holy Cross supports 12 men's and 13 women's sports, giving Holy Cross the largest ratio of teams-per-enrollment in the country. Holy Cross's athletic teams for both men and women are known as the Crusaders.
The Holy Cross Crusaders baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. The team is a member of the Patriot League, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at Hanover Insurance Park at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Crusaders are coached by Ed Kahovec. Holy Cross has participated in the NCAA tournament 11 times and has advanced to the College World Series on four occasions, capturing the title in 1952. The team earned its first Patriot League regular season title in 2013 before falling in the Patriot League Championship Series for the third time in four years. The team also boasts recent wins over top 10 teams, defeating #4 Texas A&M in 2012 and #7 Mississippi State in 2014.
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's lacrosse team represents the College of the Holy Cross in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college lacrosse. The program was created in 1958. Holy Cross plays its home games at Kuzniewski Field, which has a capacity of 1,000. The Crusaders have competed in the Patriot League since its 1991 founding. Through 2020, the team has an all–time record of 268–539–1.
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks men's lacrosse team represents Lehigh University in NCAA Division I college lacrosse. The Mountain Hawks play their home games at Frank Banko Field, which is part of a complex that also includes Lehigh's soccer and field hockey venues.
The Army Black Knights softball team represents the United States Military Academy in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Patriot League. From 1982 until 1990, the team was a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The Black Knights are currently led by head coach Jen Consaul. The team plays its home games at Army Softball Complex located on the university's campus.
The Boston University Terriers softball team represents Boston University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Patriot League (PL), having joined in 2014. From 1988 until 2013, the team was a member of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), later known as the America East Conference (AEC). The Terriers are currently led by head coach Ashley Waters. The team plays its home games at BU Softball Field located on the university's campus.
The Bucknell Bison softball team represents Bucknell University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Patriot League (PL), having joined in 1991. From 1979 until 1990, the team was a member of the East Coast Conference (ECC). The Bison are currently led by head coach Sarah Caffrey. The team plays its home games at Becker Field located on the university's campus.
The Colgate Raiders softball team represents Colgate University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Patriot League (PL), having joined in 1991. From 1979 until 1990, the team was independent. The Raiders are currently led by head coach Marissa Lamison-Myers. The team plays its home games at Eaton Street Softball Complex located on the university's campus.
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks softball team represents Lehigh University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Patriot League (PL), having joined as a founding member in 1991. From 1977 until 1990, the team was a member of the East Coast Conference. The Mountain Hawks are currently led by head coach Fran Troyan. The team plays its home games at Leadership Park located on the university's campus.
The Holy Cross Crusaders women's basketball team is the women's basketball team that represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. The team currently competes in the Patriot League. The Crusaders are currently coached by Maureen Magarity.
The 2016–17 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represented the College of the Holy Cross during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Crusaders, led by second-year head coach Bill Carmody, played their home games at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts as members of the Patriot League. They finished the season 15–17, 9–9 in Patriot League play to finish in fifth place. As the No. 5 seed in the Patriot League tournament, they lost in the quarterfinals to Navy.
The 2017 Holy Cross Crusaders football team represented the College of the Holy Cross as a member of the Patriot League during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Holy Cross was led by 14th-year head coach Tom Gilmore for the first seven games of the season before he was fired following a 2–5 start. Offensive coordinator Brian Rock was named interim head coach for the final four games. The team finished the season with an overall record of 4–7 and a mark of 3–3 in Patriot League play to place three-way tie for third. The Crusaders played their home games at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Bill Gibbons, Jr. is a former American women's basketball coach. As head coach for College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, Gibbons was one of the longest tenured coaches in the NCAA Division 1, having debuted as coach during the 1985-1986 season and coaching at Holy Cross until 2019. In 2007, Gibbons was an assistant coach on the United States squad that won the gold medal in women's basketball at the Pan American Games.
The 2020–21 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represented the College of the Holy Cross in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Crusaders, led by second-year head coach Brett Nelson, played their home games at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts as members of the Patriot League. With the creation of mini-divisions to cut down on travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they played in the North Division.
The 2021 Patriot League men's soccer tournament was the postseason men's soccer tournament for the Patriot League held from November 6 through November 13, 2021. The tournament was held at campus sites, with the higher seeded team hosting. The six-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the American Eagles. They were unable to defend their crown, after losing to Loyola (MD) in the Final. The conference championship was the first for the Loyla men's soccer program, and the first for head coach Steve Nichols. As tournament champions, Loyola earned the Patriot League's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament.
The 2022–23 Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represented the College of the Holy Cross in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Crusaders, led by fourth-year head coach Brett Nelson, played their home games at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts as members of the Patriot League. they finished the season 10–22, 7–11 in Patriot League play to finish in a four-way tie for sixth place. As the No. 9 seed in the Patriot League tournament, they lost to Loyola (MD) in the first round.
