Are you new to SUNY Cortland? Whether you are an incoming freshman or a transfer student, you may be wondering what this Cortaca Jug everyone talks about is. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Cortaca!
The Cortaca Jug is an annual college football game played between the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland and the Bombers of Ithaca College. The name “Cortaca” comes from putting the two school’s names together. The match-up is now known as “the biggest little game in the nation”.
In 1959, the first Cortaca Jug was played. The captain of the Cortland football team, Tom Decker, bought a $2 jug from a yard sale that he used as a trophy during the annual game. Decker and the Ithaca football captain, Dick Carmean, met up to paint the jug blue, gold, red, and white, representing both schools’ colors. They added the scores to the jug each year until it ran out of room, leading to a second jug being created in 1985, and a third in 2016.
Cortland won the first Jug in 1959 with a score of 13-7. The year after, the Ithaca Bombers won for their first time with a score of 12-6. Ithaca has won 37 of the 62 games between the years 1959 and 2021 while SUNY Cortland won seven consecutive games from 2010-2016. 31 of the Cortaca Jug games have been decided by a touchdown or less!
The Cortaca game alternates being held at Cortland or Ithaca each year. In 2019, the Cortaca Jug was held at MetLife Stadium for the first time and set an NCAA single game attendance record of 45,161. In 2022, the Cortaca Jug was played at Yankee Stadium for the first time, setting yet another attendance record!
Each year on this special day, students and alumni come together to cheer for their teams. They get up early and bundle up for the cold weather. Whether you watch the game from the stadium it’s being held at or are just celebrating with your friends at home, it’s an exciting day for everyone. In the past, Cortaca has been a day where students get in trouble, so make sure to be respectful and make good choices.
With all that being said, the Cortaca Jug is a great way to bring the Cortland community together and support our Red Dragons. This year, the Cortaca Jug is being held at Ithaca College’s Butterfield Stadium on Saturday, November 11th with Kickoff at noon. Complete the Cortaca Registration form to purchase your tickets! If you decide to watch the game from home, you can stream it through Ithaca College’s Athletics. Wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe experience at Cortaca this year!