History of the Cortaca Game and Jug
A rivalry between the Ithaca College Bombers and SUNY Cortland Red Dragons that has been in action for nearly a
century, dating back to 1930, now culminates in a high profile game as the last one of the regular season for each college.
Although the schools started competing against each other in 1930, the Cortaca Jug was not awarded to the winning
school until 1959. The Jug was the brainchild of the teams’ football captains, Tom Decker ’61 of Cortland and Dick Carmean
of Ithaca. Decker bought a jug at a sale run by Freddy Moss, a farmer in Homer, for two dollars. He called his friend,
Carmean, and the two captains painted the jug in blue and yellow, the colors of Ithaca, and red and white, the colors of
Cortland. This jug became the original jug and was used until 1985 when there was no more room for scores. At that time,
a second jug was initiated. Today, both are presented to the winning team. If Cortland wins, both Jugs are kept in the
school’s C-Club Hall of Fame room, and if Ithaca wins, the record cup is kept in a trophy case and the original is stored in
the coach’s office. The Jug has been crowned to the winning school since 1959. Prior to the first time the Jug was won,
Cortland dominated the series, having a record of 9-4-3.
Since the inception of the Jug, Ithaca has dominated the series, 34 wins to 21 losses. In 1988, the two teams played twice.
Cortland won the Jug with a 21-20 score, and the teams met in the NCAA playoffs with Ithaca winning 24-17. On November
15, 2014, the teams will meet in the 56th edition of the Cortaca Jug game.
Since 1991, the unofficial name of the game is “the biggest little game in the nation.” John Walters, a sports reporter for
Sports Illustrated, wrote in the August 26, 1991 edition the following:
“The biggest little game in the nation could turn out to be the Ithaca
versus SUNY-Cortland by the shores of New York State’s Cayuga
Lake on November 9, 1991”
Other Points of interest:
 Including pre-Jug games, 29 of these games were decided by a touchdown or less.
 For nearly 30 years, Ithaca never lost the Jug game at home until Cortland won in Ithaca in 1997.
 The game has been sold out almost every year for the last 25 years.
 The jugs are rarely on the field during the game.
 Many alumni try to watch or listen to the game, no matter where they are in the nation.
 The game has only recently been the last game of the season before playoffs.
 The night before the game, the staffs of each college’s radio station play a football game against each other called
Cortaca Mic. The winning radio station is usually a bad omen since many times the school that wins the Cortaca
Mic loses the Cortaca Jug.
 Neither team has rituals for the game. At Ithaca, Coach Welch has his team run up the hill before walking to the
locker room Friday night. On Thursday night practice, the seniors are carried up the hill by the underclassman.
Dick Carmean stops by Friday night practice and offers a few words. At Cortland, Coach MacNeill ’79 allows his
seniors to speak at Friday night practice.
 Speaking of the two coaches: they are alums of their respective schools, although neither played against each
other. Both were captains when they were seniors. Coach Welch was a running back, while Coach MacNeill ’79
was a linebacker and defensive end. Both won their first Cortaca game as head coach – Coach Welch in 1994 and
Coach MacNeill in 1997, with both winning on the other team’s field. Coach MacNeill’s victory at Ithaca ended an
almost 30 year winning streak by Ithaca on their home field. In 1994, Ithaca defeated Cortland 15-13, while in 1997,
Cortland defeated Ithaca 33-28. As a player, MacNeill never won against Ithaca.
 Cortland is currently on a four game winning streak, with a goal line stand late in the game to preserve the victory
at home in 2012.
 There are competitions on each campus, outside the football game.
o

Cortaca Climate Challenge: students, faculty, and staff attempt to reduce their carbon footprint. RPM
Ecosystems donates a hardwood tree to the campus that has enrolled the most members two days
before the game.
o Cortaca Blood Drive: both schools have a blood drive in October.
o Habitat of Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties: in 2010, eight students from Ithaca and ten
students from Cortland built a home in Cortland.
Why do students and alumni care so much about the game?
o Closeness of the campuses: only 21 miles apart.
o Old rivalry.
o Many students at Cortland are from New York State and know about the game before they arrive at
Cortland.
CORTLAND vs. ITHACA – SERIES RECORD
(Ithaca leads overall series 39-30-3 and Cortaca Jug series 34-21)
Year
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
Winner
Cortland
Ithaca
Tie
Tie
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Tie
Cortland
Cortland
Cortland
Cortland
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Score
12-0
12-6
0-0
6-6
7-0
19-0
32-7
7-6
13-6
39-6
32-0
13-13
28-0
37-0
32-13
16-6
13-7
12-6
34-0
24-12
22-7
16-0
13-12
24-11
11-7
34-13
36-28
7-0
21-13
21-16
41-33
34-33
21-6
28-12
38-17
Site
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Year
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Winner
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
# Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca
Cortland
Cortland
Cortland
Cortland
Score Site
27-13
Cortland
42-7
Ithaca
24-7
Cortland
42-0
Ithaca
21-17
Cortland
49-26 Ithaca
42-6
Cortland
41-0
Ithaca
40-12
Cortland
37-15
Ithaca
21-20
Cortland
24-17
Ithaca
28-0
Ithaca
28-14
Cortland
23-14
Ithaca
22-20 Cortland
32-14
Ithaca
15-13
Cortland
35-19
Ithaca
41-13
Cortland
33-28 Ithaca
37-29 Cortland
26-21
Ithaca
19-14
Cortland
21-14
Ithaca
16-12
Cortland
16-15
Ithaca
47-22 Cortland
37-30 (OT) Ithaca
23-20 (OT) Cortland
40-17
Ithaca
35-13
Cortland
23-20 Ithaca
20-17
Cortland
27-3
Ithaca
16-10
Cortland
28-24 Ithaca