With the 2024 Cortaca Jug coming up, we know there have been numerous close games, impressive plays, exciting wins for Cortland, and upbeat spirits. Let’s take a look back on some of these statistics from prior years.
First Cortaca Jug:
The first Cortaca game was played on October 17, 1959. Cortland played Ithaca at South Hill Field in Ithaca where they won 13-7. The two teams had played eachother prior to this game, but this was the first time the Jug was the prize, and this was the real start of the rivalry.
What is a Cortaca Jug?
The Cortaca Jug is a prize for the winning team. Whoever wins the game gets to hold the Jug at their respective location. During the year of the first Cortaca Jug game, captains of both Cortland and Ithaca, Tom Decker and Dick Carmean wanted to create a tangible prize. Tom Decker purchased a milk jug from a yard sale for $2 and they painted it red, white, blue, and gold. They deemed this the Cortaca Jug and kept score on the jug every year. There are now three jugs because there have been too many games to fit every score onto one jug. This $2 jug has become such a desirable prize for both teams.
Who’s in the Lead?
Right now, Ithaca takes the lead for the overall Cortaca Jug wins. Ithaca has won 38 games while Cortland has won 26. There have been many close games, with 31 of these games being decided by a touchdown or even less. SUNY Cortland had a 7 game win streak from 2010-2016 and in 2014, the Cortaca Jug game was featured as ESPN’s Top 10 College Football Plays of the Year.
Where has the Cortaca Jug been played?
While usually the Cortaca game is played at either Ithaca or Cortland, the game has travelled in recent years. In 2019, Cortaca was played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where there was a record-high fan attendance of 45,161. In 2022, the Cortaca game was played at Yankee Stadium with a crowd of 40,232. While Ithaca won both of these games, it was still a huge win for Cortland considering the amount of publicity and coverage it received. In addition to this, it is just an honor to be able to have a Cortaca Jug game at a place like MetLife or Yankee Stadium.
Score Overview
The Cortaca Jug has gone into overtime only twice ever in history, back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006 where Cortland pulled through for a win both times.
The highest scoring Cortaca Jug game was in 1983 with a score of 49-26. This game was won by Ithaca at their stadium.
The highest score for Cortland was in 1996 with a score of 41-13. Cortland won at their stadium for this game.
The highest score for Ithaca was also the 1983 game with a score of 49-26.
Last Year
Last year’s Cortaca game was held at Ithaca and provided an electric energy. Both stands were filled with fans and Cortland fans traveled to make sure the Red Dragon energy was present. Cortland won the game 38-28 after leading for the entirety. Cortland’s possession time was over 40 minutes and they had a 512-350 advantage in total offense. During this game, Cortland’s quarterback, Zac Boyes, tied the school record for career touchdown passes of 59. Cortland’s wide receiver, JJ Laap also achieved a school record during this game, being the career leader for receiving yards at 2,730. This game was filled with Cortland highlights and it was exciting to watch.
This Year
This year’s Cortaca Jug will be played at Cortland on November 16th at noon. Tickets sold out in under 15 minutes, so with this high of demand we can expect the energy to be through the roof. If you can’t make the game, there will be Cortaca watch parties as well as the game being streamed. Good luck SUNY Cortland!