The Holy Cross football team earned a No. 16 preseason ranking from Stats Perform, it was announced on Monday, Aug. 8.

The No. 16 Crusaders enter the 2022 season as the three-time defending Patriot League Champions, and are the only team at the FCS level that can win a fourth consecutive conference title this fall.

During the 2021 campaign, Holy Cross won its first FCS playoff game in program history, defeating Sacred Heart on Nov. 27. Holy Cross had a 10-3 record and went undefeated (6-0) in conference play. The Crusaders also defeated a football bowl subdivision opponent for the first time since 2002 with a season-opening victory over Connecticut on Sept. 4.

Holy Cross returns 17 players who earned All-Conference honors in 2021 and had 14 Preseason All-Patriot League honorees, including Preseason All-American and reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Jacob Dobbs.

The Crusaders will open the 2022 season on Sept. 2 with a nonconference road contest at Merrimack. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in North Andover, Mass. Season tickets and single-game tickets for Holy Cross' home contests are available, with single-game tickets starting at $10 and season ticket packages beginning at $65.

To reserve your tickets, call 1-844-GO-CROSS or visit goholycross.com/tickets.

A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, with one point for a 25th-place vote.

STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON TOP 25
1. North Dakota State (14-1, 7-1 Missouri Valley), 1,348 points (52 first-place votes)
2. South Dakota State (11-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley), 1,285 (2)
3. Montana (10-3, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,218
4. Montana State (12-3, 7-1 Big Sky), 1,203
5. Missouri State (8-4, 6-2 Missouri Valley), 1066
6. Villanova (10-3, 7-1 CAA), 997
7. Sacramento State (9-3, 8-0 Big Sky), 991
8. Kennesaw State (11-2, 6-0 Big South), 959
9. Southern Illinois (8-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley), 915
10. Stephen F. Austin (8-4, 4-2 ASUN-WAC), 813
11. ETSU (11-2, 7-1 Southern), 750
12. Chattanooga (6-5, 5-3 Southern), 562
13. Eastern Washington (10-3, 6-2 Big Sky), 538
14. UIW (10-3, 7-1 Southland), 533
15. Jackson State (11-2, 8-0 SWAC), 515
16. Holy Cross (10-3, 6-0 Patriot), 503
17. Southeastern Louisiana (9-4, 6-2 Southland), 440
18. UT Martin (10-3, 5-1 Ohio Valley), 404
19. Delaware (5-6, 3-5 CAA), 401
20. Weber State (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky), 391
21. Northern Iowa (6-6, 4-4 Missouri Valley), 289
22. Rhode Island (7-4, 4-4 CAA), 242
23. Mercer (7-3, 6-2 Southern), 215
24. Richmond (6-5, 4-4 CAA), 166
25. UC Davis (8-4, 5-3 Big Sky), 153

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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