SUNY Cortland has an incredible amount of school pride in all areas of campus. Whether that is through clubs, the arts, the activities, the school merchandise, or everything else campus has to offer, the campus culture is always upbeat. But how have college sports helped campus culture skyrocket?
SUNY Cortland has a well-versed athletic reputation, meaning sports hold a close place to the campus. From intramural, to club, to the D3 level, sports have helped shape campus culture into what it is today.
With the popularity of athletic-related majors, such as Sport Management and Physical Education, which make up a substantial amount of the overall student population, it is evident that sports are a top interest for a large volume of campus. In addition, the Sport Management department was recently ranked 25th out of 448 nationwide school programs by niche.com, further highlighting SUNY Cortland’s success.
These programs allow students to also academically be involved in sport culture.
“Sports here at Cortland have a huge impact on overall school pride because we take our athletics very seriously and as students, we look forward to experiencing their success” said Cortland student, Olivia Mahlstadt, when asked how sports influences SUNY Cortland’s school pride.
One reason for all of this pride is the Cortaca rivalry. Cortaca, the rivalry between SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College, started in 1959 when the teams decided to create a trophy to award the winning team. Although this trophy, a $2 jug, seemed like a joke at first, it has evolved into the most desired award for the football team when November rolls around. The rivalry carried on for years and years and had eventually gotten the entirety of campus to have a similar desire to have the jug back in Cortland.
This is not something all colleges have, which makes it even more special and more important that campus holds so much school pride for the sports teams. When asked how the Cortaca tradition has shaped campus culture, Cortland student Skyla Fasbach said “Cortaca is a time of year like no other. The spirits are so high and it’s one thing that everyone in Cortland can agree on, beat Ithaca! Everybody becomes one big group, and you make so many relationships with people that continue even after the game.”
SUNY Cortland offers 23 intercollegiate level sports teams, 31 club sports teams, and the opportunity for anyone to create their own intramural sports team. By offering sports at different levels, it allows athletes with varying levels of experience to enjoy the sport culture and compete.
Being part of these teams or knowing someone in a team also increases the campus culture through sport. Annabelle Novinski, Club Volleyball member, said “Being part of Club Volleyball has brought me some of my best friends here at Cortland and has made my time here amazing. I don’t think my experience here would be the same without the club and without the friends that I have made from it. Being on the club gives me a chance to represent our school and my team within and outside of Cortland.”
Whether you’re cheering on fellow students at sports games, sharing our victories, or participating in a sport yourself, it is empowering to have generations of people who have so much pride in the sport world of SUNY Cortland.