Alyssa Daly ’28
Staff Writer
Football season has arrived, and with it comes a long held tradition Crusaders have enjoyed for generations: tailgating. It is a special privilege to be able to share food and quality time with beloved friends and family, and to be able to do so Saturdays before Football games is a widely-enjoyed event for many at Holy Cross.
The popularity of these tailgates cannot be overstated; in the weeks leading up to the tailgates, the Hill is abuzz with excited Crusaders who look forward to spending time with their families. For many, a tailgate represents the long-awaited reuniting with family members who they haven’t seen in the weeks to months since they have been here at Holy Cross. Not only that, tailgates are an opportunity to network with peers and their families by trading small talk over a hot dog, or some buffalo chicken dip. Most importantly, tailgates are a way Crusaders love to show their school spirit and get excited for the football game ahead.
Currently, those who tailgate for games have three lots to choose from: Freshman Field, which is just a walk away from the football stadium, the Baseball Field, and another, less popular site, which is on College Street, and is usually where fans of opposing teams tend to park their cars to tailgate. Crusaders who wish to tailgate before the game then make their way into the stadium for game time opt to tailgate on Freshman Field; it is at this lot that security will urge tailgaters to pack up their cars and make their way to the field come game time. On the Baseball Field lot, however, tailgaters can spend as much time as they please on the field, tailgating, and can choose not to attend the game at all if they so please (this option will cost you 2,500 dollars in charity to the college annually, though). Information on the length of time spent tailgating at the College Street lot remains allusive, as this is where enemies of the Crusaders tend to have their tailgates, and who wants to be around them?
This year, Holy Cross administration, in collaboration with the athletics department, has announced plans that leave many football fans confused.
It was announced this past Sunday that Fitton Field, the field on which the HC football team plays, is to be made an additional lot for fans to park their cars and set up their tailgates. The logistics of this are unclear, and little has been revealed regarding how the football team will be able to play games while the cars are parked on the grass.
There have been rumors that the reason for this additional lot being added directly onto the field is the few number of people who actually make their way into the game, and thus spectators for the sport are usually lacking. However, no official statement has been made regarding the reasoning behind this decision.
Tickets for the new tailgating lot are to go on sale in the summer of 2026, and will sell for $200 a game. Until then, the Hill is left to wonder what this new lot will look like, and how exactly it will affect the future of the football program and their games.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani ’26
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