SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College are launching a four-year partnership with Visions Federal Credit Union centered on the Cortaca Jug, one of the nation's most celebrated NCAA Division III football rivalries.
 
The partnership — the first naming sponsorship in the Cortaca Jug's history — will support the annual game between the two institutions. It begins with the 2026 season, including the Cortaca Jug game at Yankee Stadium on November 14, 2026, and continues through the 2029 game.
 
Under the agreement, the regular-season rivalry game between the schools — located less than 25 miles apart in Central New York — will be known as "Cortaca Jug presented by Visions Federal Credit Union." A co-branded logo will be developed for each year of the partnership.
 
"For many years, the Cortaca Jug rivalry has stood on its own as one of the most unique rivalries in Division III athletics, and this partnership with Visions Federal Credit Union serves as further proof," said SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum. "The game itself has shattered attendance records and earned national media attention. But the tradition is something far greater — a constant source of pride for two outstanding institutions. Visions' support will help grow the Cortaca Jug game's visibility, build ties in our community and create new opportunities for our students and alumni for years to come."
 
"For generations, the Cortaca Jug has brought together two institutions with deep roots in this region," said Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish. "Welcoming Visions Federal Credit Union to this tradition unites three organizations with a strong commitment to the people and places we serve. Together, we share a responsibility to help this region thrive, and we're proud to have Visions as a partner as we carry this extraordinary tradition forward and expand its impact both on and off the field."
 
As naming sponsor, Visions will be recognized in connection with the game throughout the agreement. The relationship will also extend beyond Cortaca itself through opportunities for Visions to contribute to financial-literacy programming at both institutions each fall and spring.
 
"The Cortaca Jug is easily one of the most recognized and celebrated college sports rivalries in Upstate New York, and Visions is excited to be part of it," said Tim Strong, Assistant Vice President for Branding and Community Impact at Visions Federal Credit Union. "Both SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College have incredible traditions of academics and athletics, and their passionate alumni bases reside in many of the communities Visions serves across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. There is no better place to launch this long-term partnership than the iconic setting of Yankee Stadium."
 
The 2026 game will mark Cortaca's second appearance at Yankee Stadium, following the 2022 contest that drew 40,232 fans. The teams also previously played at MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL's New York Jets and New York Giants, in 2019, drawing 45,161 fans — a Division III record. The 2027, 2028 and 2029 Cortaca Jug games are scheduled to be held on the institutions' campuses.
   
About Visions Federal Credit Union:

Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Visit www.visionsfcu.org for more information. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender.
 
About the Cortaca Jug:

Cortland and Ithaca first met on the gridiron in 1930, and in 1959 the Cortaca Jug "traveling trophy" (utilizing portions of both the Cortland and Ithaca names) was introduced for the winning team. Cortland's Tom Decker '61, a team captain, and his friend Dick Carmean, an Ithaca captain, turned a ceramic milk jug purchased for $2 at a yard sale in Homer, N.Y., into the original Cortaca Jug. The score from each year's regular-season game between the schools was added to the jug, necessitating a second jug to be created in 1985 and a third one in 2016.
 
"The Biggest Little Game in the Nation" earned its nickname in 1991 from Sports Illustrated. "The biggest little game in the nation could turn out to be Ithaca vs. SUNY Cortland by the shores of New York state's Cayuga Lake on Nov. 9, 1991," wrote sportswriter John Walters in the Aug. 26, 1991 edition.
 
After decades of drawing sellout crowds on the two campuses, the game reached new heights in 2019 when the teams played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in front of a Division III record 45,161 fans. In 2022, the teams played at Yankee Stadium with a crowd of 40,232, the second-best attendance in Division III history. Since 2010, only eight of 25 football games at Yankee Stadium have drawn more than 40,000 fans — four involving Notre Dame, two with Penn State, the Division I Lafayette-Lehigh rivalry game, and the 2022 Cortaca Jug game.