Let me ask you a question, when you think about Division III Athletics what do you think about?
As a student at SUNY Cortland, I feel I have the need to talk about and discuss the importance of Division III Athletics. Having a personal connection to athletics at Cortland I feel it is right for me to right an article like this one. Having experience firsthand I can vouch for the importance of Division III Athletics and the impact it has on Cortland.
Division III Athletics have a myriad of benefits and rewards. They may not be financial but in the end, money is not everything. In any sport at this level the athletes have a strong passion for their game.
“D III is as raw as you get, it’s pure,” said quarterback Zac Boyes. “You’re still doing it because you love the game.”
At Cortland it comes down to athletes wanting to put in the time, effort and showing up, proving they want to be here. Eager to show up to meetings, lifts, and practices, and most of all excited for game day, wearing red and white.
“Our players play because they want to, not because they have to or because they are financially incentivized to play,” said football head coach Curt Fitzpatrick.
Skill Level
In the world of college athletics there are a few common misconceptions, these being the skill, athleticism, and competitiveness of athletes. The Division III level has been overlooked for years. Skill level should not be overlooked and should be analyzed more often. Athletes can prove to the contrary and show they are just as talented.
Division III most recently just had five players go to the NFL has undrafted free agents, two of those being from Cortland. Cole Burgess and JJ Lapp.
“There’s a lot of Division I guys on Division III rosters,” said Burgess. “You can come across some really good competition and some really good teams.”
Throughout the 2023-2024 football at the Division III level people could really see the love the athletes had for the game. People could see they were putting in the work each and every day to get to where they were. Those who followed teams during the 2023-2024 up until the Stagg Bowl, were able to see the competitive factor of teams and the games.
“D III guys are out there for the love of the game,” said Burgess. “I had a lot of people reach out and say they felt they watched some really good football when they watched the National Championship.”
In Division I and Division II Athletics the, Athletic Director, coaches and athletic program are looking for the athletes with the build that fits the position of the sport the most, not necessarily skill level. In certain sports and positions, size is very important so the player can be protected, although there are many athletes who have the skill level and talent for the position jut not the size.
“I think you get overlooked because of your size,” said Boyes. “A lot of guys are just as skilled just not as big.”
When attending Cortland football games, spectators are amazed at the talent produced, making it difficult to conceptualize they were at a Division III game.
“Most people are shocked at how talented our players are,” said Fitzpatrick.
Any fan or anyone who loves sports knows that exceptional talent can be easy to find if hiding (playing) in plain site. If you watch Cortland athletics with a naked eye you can spot
“We have some real special talents out on the field, anyone watching without a bias eye can tell that,” said Boyes.
The majority of athletes at Cortland try not to let the outside judgement of Division III get to them. The athletes know their worth, what they are capable of, and they are not afraid to show to everyone what that means.
“We don’t see it as less than, we are putting in as just as much work,” said captain and outfielder Gina Meyers.
Playing on a Division I team is what athletes dream of when growing up. When it starts to become a reality, the feeling is indescribable. When there is no financial aid to back it up the plan has to change slightly.
“Could’ve gone Division I or Division II but chose Division III, for other reasons,” said Meyers. “Not a lack of talent or want.”
Work and Dedication
For any sport at the Division III level, the dedication and effort that is put forth amazes some people. They don’t realize the amount of work that goes into creating a team or what goes in during preseason and in season.
“You can go from having a 2–3-hour long practice, to five different classes, then lift later at night, adding homework, going to the library, just all the things that you need to do in a day,” said captain and defense Bryn Thompson.
At the Division III level, especially Cortland, there is a certain respect gained among the athletic community. All the athletes understand and appreciate each other because they know how many hours they spent in practice, meetings, reviewing film, the weight room, etc.
“If you play Division III, you have a lot of respect for others who do because you put in so much time as those who play Division I, Division II you just don’t get the financial benefits,” said Boyes.
Respect
Respect runs deep at Cortland, and it starts with coaches and players. The connections being made and showing they care and will support the athlete through their college career.
Division III Athletics allows for the local community to support the teams. At big name schools like Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, it is a mix between students, alumni, and fans not associated with the school. Having support from locals forges a deeper connection between the athletes, school and those who come to support.
Playing at a school like Cortland, you are not getting the same fan base like Alabama, Michigan, Georgia where it’s a huge following. Cortland has more of a connection between the community and the school itself.
At this level athletes, coaches, teams, you name it, start to earn respect for one another. At Cortland there is comradery between all the teams.
“All the teams support team each other at each other’s games,” said Thompson.
Rivalry
In the Upstate New York Region, there are many great schools for athletics across the three different divisions. Athletes have a plethora of choices for schools when it comes to the type of education, feel of athletic program, or the atmosphere of school. Each offering their own set of characteristics.
In athletics rivalries are some of the most important aspects of being a fan. It is what makes the fandom of the team stronger and gives the fans a sense of identity. Fans love to be able to hate and dislike another team.
The Cortaca Jug is a huge part of Cortland and the experience. It is a game that even some sport fans outside the Cortland/Ithaca area know about. What makes it so unique and special is the outlying factors of the other schools and the proximity.
“Syracuse doesn’t have a rivalry UB doesn’t have a rivalry with anyone,” said Boyes. “We’re 30 minutes down the road from each other and we don’t like each other.”
The Cortland v Ithaca rivalry is bigger than just for football. Whenever there is a Cortland v Ithaca game, students show up and support. It drives students to the stands. It is such a huge part of the campus, and the rivalry means something.
Cortland v Ithaca is as simple as two small Division III schools, 30 minutes apart, one’s public, one’s private, and they just do not like one another.
Athlete and Student Support
The unique athletic atmosphere creates a dynamic between the athletes, students and school that is different from other schools. The student support for athletes is strong and bold and is shown each and every day, through attending games or what they are wearing. From the school as a whole faculty and staff always come to games or get to know players and offer support through the years.
“When you walk around campus you see numerous students wearing Cortland gear,” said Fitzpatrick. “That is not normal on most Division III campuses.”
Athletes at Cortland love to support the school and represent as much as they can. As it is part of them and their journey, they want to carry it with them each and every day. Athletes want to make Cortland known as well as Division III.
“I want people to know I play softball for Cortland,” said Meyers.
The local love to support Cortland and the athletic program. It is one of the major support factors at the games which makes the school and athletic program so unique.
“After National Championship…there were hundreds and hundreds of community members supporting us, and it truly showed how much this community and school supports us,” said Wide Receiver Andrew Tarpey.
Lessons
The lessons learned through athletics are those that are able to stick with coaches, athletes and even players throughout their life. They can be small lessons used as building blocks that led to larger outcomes or big lessons that make athletes think differently.
“Everything happens for a reason,” said Thompson. “We lost SUNYACS (soccer) and this is what I thought.”
There are two ways to act, think, and carry on after not reaching a goal as an athlete and team. You can either react positively or negatively and the way that you do it impacts the rest of the season or outlook on life. Taking the life lesson and applying to where it can apply is what a majority of individuals do in life.
“Taking everything, I’ve learned and applying to my job and students,” said Thompson.
In life you get knocked down but get back up again and keep on fighting, especially when you face failure. For athletes the lessons learned can help them to not break down as much and stay cool and learn how to react when they are faced with failure.
“I’ve learned how to react to failure and that it is not the end of the world,” said Ornstein.
Being able to face the music and carry on can be challenging and difficult for many people. Having a group of people who are connected make this a little easier.
Football at Cortland
Football at Cortland is more than football. It is a family, love, care, respect, etc.
“Care about your teammates and the relationships you build and how that is more important than anything else,” said Boyes
From day one at camp in August there is a feeling of family and love. The men on the team are given their brothers/best friends/teammates. All getting through life and college together, playing football, attending classes, and forming connections that will last a lifetime.
“We were given 120 best friends,” said Tarpey. “Having the best time with my brothers.”
Red Dragons fight and battle has one. Hard work and dedication cannot be done without being a group that works together as one and has each other’s backs. Always building each other up and helping each other up when you get knocked off balance.
“One of the most if not the not the most important, is unity and buy into each other,” Boyes.
The family atmosphere isn’t pulled out of thin air, it is shaped and crafted through coaches and players throughout the seasons.
“Coach Fitz has done a tremendous job and just the players we recruit and have on the field,” said Boyes.
http://Image provided by EDL Photography
At any practice or game, you are able to see the love and passion the athletes have for the game and for each other. Always pushing each other to do better and to never give up. The relationships they build on and off the field allow for the connection to push each other to the max.
“The relationships between players are formed in the dining hall, dorms, and off-campus more so than on the practice field and in team meetings,” said Fitzpatrick.
The relationships that are built outside of practice allow for stronger connections to be made. The players get to know each other better in more personal settings. It allows for the chance for more 1:1 conversations or smaller group conversations and bonds to form.
The connections and relationship built between these brothers is a special and unique one that only they will ever be ever to explain fully. This is the main reward that Division III gives, that is worth more than money can buy.
