In 1985 the school moved to the newly formed Colonial League (later known as the Patriot League), which prohibited its members from awarding athletic scholarships and did not allow its football teams to play in the NCAA Division I-AA Football Playoffs. The decision to join the Patriot League was made by school president Brooks without consulting Perry. Perry believed that recruiting without scholarships along with the school's school's high admission standards made it hard to bring top athletes to Holy Cross. Holy Cross struggled in the Patriot League, finishing near the bottom most years in the standings for the Presidents' Cup. In 1987, Holy Cross ended its annual football game with rival Boston College in order to focus on Division 1-AA competition. According to Perry, the decision was inevitable because the school's administrators felt that Holy Cross could no longer compete with BC. Due to pressure from Perry and Holy Cross, the Patriot League opted to make athletic scholarships optional in men's and women's basketball beginning in 1998.
