On November 16th, the most sought out day of the calendar year for the Cortland Red Dragons arrives, Cortaca. This annual tradition immerses the values and competitiveness of Suny Cortland athletics and the community as a whole. For those who may be new to Cortland, have never heard of Cortaca, or think it’s “just a game” here is a guide on: How to Cortaca.
What is Cortaca?
Cortaca, formally known as the Cortaca Jug Game, is a football match played between SUNY Cortland and the rival Ithaca College Bombers, two schools that are roughly twenty miles apart. The tradition dates back to 1959 when the first match took place. The winner of the annual game is awarded with a jug in place of a trophy that the school gets to keep for the year. Tom Decker (‘61) and his friend from Ithaca Dick Carmean were both captains of their football teams and thought of creating the jug prior to the inaugural game, so Decker bought a $2 jug from a local farmer to use as a trophy. The score of every game goes on the jug and we are now on Cortaca Jug III. The Red Dragons are currently undefeated this season and are looking to carry that momentum into the jug game to make it two years in a row after capturing last year’s jug in a 38-28 victory.
DO’s and DON’Ts For Kickoff
During the last week of October, tickets to the game were available for students to pick up in Corey Union and for fans to purchase online. With the sale of tickets going public the university also released a rules and regulations list for the game along with a sportsmanship statement. The sportsmanship statement promotes good sportsmanship by spectators, student-athletes, coaches, and all those involved. Profanity, racial, or sexist comments along with any other intimidating acts can result in removal from the game. Clothing or apparel with inappropriate or offensive sayings could result in denying your admission to the game. No re-entry is allowed, if you leave your ticket is no longer valid, student tickets are general admission and students must present their SUNY Cortland ID along with their ticket upon entry.
To ensure safety and enjoyment for all attendees, the following items are strictly prohibited at the 2024 Cortaca Jug game:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Bags, totes,and backpacks
- Artificial noisemakers
- Signs or banners attached to poles
- Outside bottles, cans, containers, or coolers
- Pets of any kind
- Tobacco products
- Weapons
- And most importantly, make sure to wear red and white, to support our Red Dragons proudly.
Is Cortaca Just One Day?
Absolutely not, our Cortaca pride begins days before kickoff. Cortaca’s week of events is put together by the Student Board of Activities as well as several other sponsors. The full list of the week’s events can be found online at the SUNY Cortland website under “Cortaca Week”. Here is a highlight of a few events that will be held throughout the week:
Mon., Nov. 11 – Game Show Night, Corey Union Function Room, 7 PM: Test your Cortland trivia skills and win prizes.
Wed., Nov. 13 – DIY Merch, Corey Union Function Room, 7 PM: Make custom Cortaca™ merch.
Fri., Nov. 15 – Pep Rally, Main St., 7 PM: City-wide rally with merch and raffles; buses available.
Thank you to all those who help make these events possible, come out to some events and the big game, we hope to see you there.