Holy Cross, Harvard to play at Polar Park in 2023

By Kevin Kelley -

The Holy Cross Crusaders and the Harvard Crimson will play at Polar Park in 2023, it was announced on Friday.

Holy Cross will host Harvard at Polar Park in Worcester, Mass., on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. The game will be a home contest for the Crusaders, who were originally scheduled to host the Crimson on campus at Fitton Field in Worcester.

The game is dubbed the EBW Football Classic, named for the late Edward Bennett Williams.

“Edward Bennett Williams was the most influential person in my professional life—and among the most influential in my personal life,” said Red Sox Hall of Famer Larry Lucchino, now Chairman and Principal Owner of the Worcester Red Sox. “He was a giant in the field of law — particularly trial law, a legendary sportsman in both football and baseball, a proud and distinguished alumnus of Holy Cross, and a key force in the creation of the Colonial League, precursor to what is now known as the Patriot League. We are deeply honored to present the third annual EBW Holy Cross Football Classic.”

Polar Park is the home of Minor League Baseball’s Worcester Red Sox, a minor-league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The stadium has a seating capacity of 9,508.

“We’re grateful to our friends from Holy Cross and Harvard for their partnership in bringing the third annual EBW Football Classic to fruition,” said Worcester Red Sox Executive Vice President & General Manager, Dan Rea. “After strong games to start this series the last two years, we’re looking forward to continuing the momentum and seeing ‘ten thousand men’ and women from both schools turning out for an unforgettable matchup.”

This will mark the third-consecutive season in which Holy Cross has played at Polar Park. The Crusaders defeated Colgate in the 2021 matchup, 42-10, and Bucknell last season, 57-0.

“As we continue to invest in our relationship with the Worcester Red Sox, moving the Harvard game to the heart of the city in a truly special venue is something we are very excited about,” said Kit Hughes, Holy Cross Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics. “Division I Athletics at Holy Cross is a vehicle for engaging communities and telling our distinctive story to a broad audience, and we know that this year’s game will help to showcase all the great things going on with our football program, College and city. Certainly, to do something that has never been done in a rivalry dating back to 1904, is pretty special for everyone involved.”

Holy Cross, a member of the Patriot League, and Harvard, a member of the Ivy League, first met on the gridiron in 1904 and have played 73 times overall. In their most recent matchup in 2022, the Crusaders defeated the Crimson 30-21 in Boston, Mass., but Harvard still leads the overall series 45-26-2.

Football Schedules

Comments (4)

With this game set, Harvard has posted their schedule with the game with Howard set for 10/14. This is the sixth non-conference game for Howard, which completes that non-conference schedule. That leaves only 11/18 as the only open date for Howard and Morgan State to play their conference game. With Morgan State having all sixth non-conference opponents, this essentially completes the schedules for all three schools – Harvard, Howard, and Morgan State.

Ooof! My bad! They are selling tickets for the six home games, and Howard on 10/14 is one of the six.

They must feel confident enough, but you’re right – no schedule is up and no announcement has been made.