Sept. 3, 2008

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

AMHERST, Mass. -- The UMass-Holy Cross rivalry in men's basketball will be renewed for the next three seasons starting with a Dec. 10, 2008 meeting at the Mullins Center this season. The teams will play at the DCU Center in Worcester in the 2009-10 season and will wrap up the series with a meeting at the Mullins Center in 2010-11. The Crusaders and Minutemen have not played since Holy Cross beat UMass, 67-56, on Dec. 4, 2001 in Amherst.

"This is a great in-state rivalry," said new UMass head coach Derek Kellogg. "To play a team of the caliber of Holy Cross as the final addition to our schedule this season is a great challenge. They are a perennial NCAA Tournament team out of the Patriot League.

"We are also excited to play them in Worcester next season as we continue to try and spread the word about UMass basketball across the state and all of New England. Next season, we will be playing games in Boston, Springfield and Worcester, so our fans will have plenty of chances to see the Minutemen in addition to the games at the Mullins Center. As the flagship school in the state system, it is important to play games in different cities in Massachusetts and this helps with a statewide message."

Holy Cross holds the all-time series lead, 36-17, dating to the first game in the series in 1908, a 51-4 Crusader victory. That game was played in just the seventh season of UMass basketball as the program celebrates its 100th season in 2008-09.

UMass last beat Holy Cross in a game which Kellogg played on Dec. 9, 1993 at the Centrum (now DCU Center). Kellogg was a senior captain on the Minutemen squad which won that game, 97-80. The Crusaders have won the last two meetings, both in Worcester. Prior to the 2001 defeat, Holy Cross beat UMass, 78-65 in 2000. UMass and Holy Cross had played for virtually every year from 1952 through 1993 before the two-game set in 2000 and 2001.