Cortaca History
History of the Cortaca Jug: Ithaca and Cortland met on the football field 16 times between 1930 and 1958, with Ithaca posting a 4-9-3 in those pre-Cortaca Jug matchups.
The Cortaca Jug was officially introduced to the already competitive rivalry between Ithaca and Cortland in 1959 by the captains of the two teams. While driving in nearby Homer in 1959, Cortland football captain Tom Decker stopped at a yard sale and purchased a $2 jug from a local farmer that he thought could be used as a trophy during the annual game between the two schools. After meeting up with friend and Ithaca football captain Dick Carmean, the two painted the jug blue, gold, red, and white in honor of both schools’ colors. The original Jug ran out of room for scores in the mid-1980s, necessitating a second Jug, which ran out of space in 2015, and Cortaca III was unveiled at the pregame press conference in 2016. The rivalry took the next step in 2019, as the game was moved to a neutral site for the first time. The 61st Jug Game was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. in front of an NCAA Division III record crowd of 45,161 fans. The following fall, COVID-19 forced the first cancelation since the Jug was introduced. In 2022, the Jug traveled back to New York City, this time at Yankee Stadium, and the Bombers came away with a 34-17 win with 40,232 fans in attendance.
ITHACA vs. CORTLAND ALL-TIME SERIES
1959 was the first “Cortaca Jug” game.
Ithaca leads the all-time series 43-35-3. Ithaca leads the Cortaca Jug 38-26.
| Date |
W/L |
Score |
Location |
| 10/18/1930 |
L |
12-0 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/17/1931 |
W |
12- 6 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/15/1932 |
T |
0- 0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/14/1933 |
T |
6-6 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/27/1934 |
W |
7- 0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/23/1948 |
L |
19-0 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/21/1949 |
L |
32-7 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/21/1950 |
W |
7-6 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/19/1951 |
W |
13- 6 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/18/1952 |
L |
39-6 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/16/1953 |
L |
32-0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/16/1954 |
T |
13-13 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/14/1955 |
L |
28-0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/13/1956 |
L |
37-0 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/12/1957 |
L |
32-13 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/18/1958 |
L |
16-6 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/17/1959* |
L |
13-7 |
Ithaca, N.Y. (1st Cortaca Jug game) |
| 10/29/1960 |
W |
12-6 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/14/1961 |
W |
34- 0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/13/1962 |
W |
24-12 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/12/1963 |
W |
22- 7 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/10/1964 |
L |
16-0 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/09/1965 |
W |
13-12 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/08/1966 |
L |
24-11 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/07/1967 |
L |
11-7 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/05/1968 |
L |
34-13 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/04/1969 |
W |
36-28 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 10/03/1970 |
L |
7-0 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 10/02/1971 |
W |
21-13 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 09/30/1972 |
L |
21-16 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 09/29/1973 |
W |
41-33 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 09/28/1974 |
W |
34-33 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 09/27/1975 |
W |
21- 6 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 09/25/1976 |
W |
28-12 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 09/24/1977 |
W |
38-17 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 09/23/1978 |
W |
27-13 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 09/22/1979 |
W |
42- 7 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/08/1980 |
W |
24-7 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/07/1981 |
W |
42- 0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/06/1982 |
L |
21-17 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/05/1983 |
W |
49-26 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/03/1984 |
W |
42-6 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/09/1985 |
W |
41- 0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/08/1986 |
W |
40-12 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/07/1987 |
W |
37-15 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/05/1988 |
L |
21-20 |
Cortland, N.Y. (watch on YouTube) |
| 11/26/1988 |
W |
24-17 |
%Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/04/1989 |
W |
28- 0 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/03/1990 |
W |
28-14 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/09/1991 |
W |
23-14 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/07/1992 |
L |
22-20 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/06/1993 |
W |
32-14 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/05/1994 |
W |
15-13 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/04/1995 |
W |
35-19 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/09/1996 |
L |
41-13 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/08/1997 |
L |
33-28 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/07/1998 |
W |
37-29 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/06/1999 |
L |
26-21 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/11/2000 |
W |
19-14 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/10/2001 |
W |
21-14 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/16/2002 |
L |
16-12 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/15/2003 |
L |
16-15 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/13/2004 |
W |
47-22 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/12/2005 |
L |
37-30 OT |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/11/2006 |
L |
23-20 OT |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/10/2007 |
W |
40-17 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/15/2008 |
W |
35-13 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/14/2009 |
W |
23-20 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/13/2010 |
L |
20-17 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/12/2011 |
L |
27-3 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/10/2012 |
L |
16-10 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/16/2013 |
L |
28-24 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/15/2014 |
L |
23-20 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/14/2015 |
L |
11-8 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/12/2016 |
L |
28-16 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/11/2017 |
W |
48-20 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
| 11/10/2018 |
W |
24-21 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/16/2019 |
W |
32-20 |
East Rutherford, N.J. - MetLife Stadium |
| 11/14/2020 |
-- |
-- |
Cortland, N.Y. (Game canceled due to COVID-19) |
| 11/13/2021 |
L |
28-27 |
Cortland, N.Y. |
| 11/12/2022 |
W |
34-17 |
Bronx, N.Y. - Yankee Stadium |
| 11/11/2023 |
L |
38-28 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
% NCAA Playoffs
