Fitton Field (Football)
Today's Crusaders are fortunate to call Fitton Field their home. Storied Fitton is considered to be the finest natural grass facility for viewing and playing a college football game in the Northeast. Always in impeccable playing shape, the field has played host to some of the greatest teams in college football -- Louisiana State, Boston College, Georgia, Syracuse and Penn State, to name a few.
The first home football game ever played at Holy Cross was a 6-0 defeat of Massachusetts Agricultural College on Sept. 26, 1903. It was not until 1905, however, that the field was dedicated Fitton Field, and again it was a meeting with the Aggies that christened the new field. This time, the Crusaders won 17-0.
Still, the football field was laid out across what is now the baseball field, and it was not until Sept. 26, 1908, that the first game was held at what is now the field's current site. The Crusaders defeated Norwich 5-0 on that inaugural day, some 97 years ago.
In 1908, Holy Cross added new wooden stands to the field, while just four years later a concrete structure replaced many of those seats, thus increasing the seating capacity of the stadium. It was not until 1924 that Holy Cross built the steel structuring that makes up today's stadium.
Prior to the 1986 season, the wooden stands were removed and replaced with aluminum stands and a complete horseshoe design with a capacity of 23,500.
Capacity: 23,500
Surface: Grass
Built: 1924.
Renovated: 1986
Largest Crowd: 27,000
Longest Winning Streak: 16 Games (1987-1989)
Longest Unbeaten Streak: 29 Games (1935-1939)
Namesake: Named after Father Fitton, who purchased the land on which the school was founded and deeded it to Bishop Fenwick in 1843.
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The Holy Cross softball team has played at Freshman Field since the program's inception in 1981.
Located behind the football stadium, the softball field has in recent years seen the addition of new bleachers and a press box
Built: 1981
Surface:Grass
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The Hart Recreation Center is one of the premier athletic facilities in the Northeast. The facility is named for Rev. Francis J. Hart, S.J., the guiding force behind intramurals at the college for more than 40 years.
Located atop Mount St. James, the Hart Center contains a 3,600-capacity basketball arena, a six-lane swimming pool with separate diving area, a 1,400-capacity hockey and ice skating arena, rowing tanks, and racquetball and squash courts. A modern training and conditioning facility is also located in the Hart Center that services Holy Cross' 600 student-athletes. The College employs two full-time trainers to assist with athletic coverage in addition to two interns and a number of student trainers.
Behind the Hart Center is a full size track, four practice fields, soccer field and a lighted turf field which services numerous sports and intramural programs.
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Hart Recreation Center (Basketball Arena)
Since the Crusader men's basketball team defeated Loyola (Md.) 94-85 on the newly built Hart Recreation Center court on December 1, 1975, the Hart Center has been a tremendous home court advantage for men's and women's teams alike. The men's team has won more than 70 percent of its games at the Hart Center, while the women have won more than 80 percent of theirs.
The 3,600 seat capacity has been exceed often, as "standing room only" crowds of 4,000 make the Hart Center into a loud and intimidating playing environment for opponents.
Some of the great teams who have faced the Crusaders on their home floor are Connecticut, Georgetown, Ohio State and Providence on the men's side, and Connecticut, Maryland, Stanford and North Carolina on the women's side.
Capacity: 3,600
Built: 1975
Largest Crowd: 4,000
Longest Men's Winning Streak: 14 Games (1980-1982)
Longest Women's Winning Streak: 34 Games (1980-1983)
Namesake: Named after the Rev. Francis J. Hart, S.J., the guiding force behind intramurals at Holy Cross for more than 40 years.
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Hart Recreation Center (Ice Hockey Rink)
The Holy Cross hockey team moved into its own home in the fall of 1975, and it celebrated in style, defeating Fairfield, 11-1, on December 2, 1975.
From its opening that day to its around-the-clock operation today, the Hart Recreation Center has been a model of excellence for other rinks to emulate. Over the years, the Hart Center has set the stage for battles against the likes of Boston College, the University of Maine, Merrimack College, the University of Massachusetts and Notre Dame. In 1999 and 2002, the Hart Center was the venue selected to host the MAAC Hockey Championship. Winning their 200th home game during the 1997-1998 season, the Crusader men's team has won more than 60 percent of its games on the Hart Center ice.
The team now enjoys a brand new locker room facility, complete with a players' lounge and state of the art video equipment.
The Crusader women's team, formed in 1999, also plays its home games on the Hart Center ice.
Capacity: 1,400
Built: 1975
Longest Winning Streak: 14 Games (1984-1986)
Namesake: Named after the Rev. Francis J. Hart, S.J., the guiding force behind intramurals at Holy Cross for more than 40 years.
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Hart Recreation Center (Swimming Pool)
The Holy Cross swimming and diving teams practice and compete in the six-lane pool at the Hart Recreation Center.
The pool contains dual wave turbulent lane lines which are the standard 25-yard collegiate length. A movable bulkhead can be adjusted to a length of either 25 yards or 25 meters. The pool also features a Colorado timing system which provides an electronic readout for all six lanes.
A separate diving well contains two one-meter boards and one three-meter board. All three boards are Duraflex, wafer diving boards. A trampoline and harness system is available on deck for diver training.
Other features include the coaches' office, men's and women's varsity locker rooms, steam rooms and sauna. The balcony seating area accommodates 500 spectators for dual meet competition.
Built: 1982
Capacity: 500
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Hart Recreation Center (Rowing Tanks)
The Crusader men's and women's rowing team enjoys the advantage of being able to practice indoors year round, thanks to the Hart Center rowing tanks.
Built: 1982
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Hart Recreation Center (Turf Field & Track)
Home to the Holy Cross men's and women's lacrosse, field hockey, and outdoor track teams, the Hart Center turf field and track is the highest volume playing surface on campus.
Surrounded by an eight-lane running track, the turf field (last replaced in 2002) is currently one of only two lighted playing surfaces at Holy Cross.
And while, apart of the turf being replaced on a regular schedule, the facility had not changed much since its inception - recently that trend has changed. A new scoreboard was installed in 2003, and with the construction of the adjacent soccer facility, new spectator stands have been built behind the benches on the turf field. A shared press box has also been built.
Built: 1988
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Carol & Park B. Smith Wellness Center
The Carol and Park B. Smith Wellness Center, located within the Hart Recreation Center, provides state-of-the-art fitness equipment for varsity athletes and all other members of the Holy Cross community.
The 15,000-square-foot facility provides a highly versatile strength and conditioning center for Holy Cross' 600 student-athletes on the first level. There are areas for speed development programs, as well as for strength and endurance conditioning. The second floor has been designed for use by all students, faculty and staff. It has two sections: one for aerobic training, and the other for cardiovascular, variable-resistance and strength training. A diverse selection of equipment accommodates users ranging from beginners to advanced athletes.
The center also offers fitness and wellness programs such as kickboxing and yoga. Sixty-five-hundred square feet of the Center is devoted solely to varsity athletes and is run by a full-time strength and conditioning coach. This space accommodates a much greater number of athletes at one time and allows teams to train together at times more convenient to their busy schedules as student-athletes.
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Linda Johnson Smith Stadium (Soccer)
The new 1,320 seat Linda Johnson Smith Stadium officially opened in the fall of 2006, for the beginning of the 2006 soccer season. The first regular season game played at the stadium was between the Holy Cross women and Providence on Aug. 25, 2006, while the official blessing and dedication was held on Sept. 8, 2006, prior to the men's game with St. Bonaventure. The stadium is located behind the Hart Center, and serves as the first-ever permanent home for Crusader soccer.
The surface of the field is natural grass, with spectator seating on both sides of the field. The stadium also has permanent lights, allowing both the men's and women's soccer teams to play home games at night for the first time in school history. Entrance to the stadiium is via the Greene Family Plaza. A successful fundraising campaign raised funds to support construction of the facility and indoor changing / meeting rooms for the men's and women's teams in the Hart Center.
The stadium is the first new playing facility on campus since the debut of the lighted artificial turf field and running track in 1988.
As the stadium is located adjacent to the turf field and track, spectator stands were built on both sides, accommodating fans at both facilities.
Capacity: 1,320
Built: 2005
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