Cortaca Craze

Riley Peru, Sports Editor

Every year SUNY Cortland and Ithaca Colleges football teams face off in a matchup called “Cortaca Jug.” This matchup every year is highly anticipated and has been a popular event since 1930. The two schools every year since then will alternate which school hosts. The winner of this game is given a trophy passed between the two teams since 1959. In recent years the event has taken place at bigger venues to accumulate for bigger crowds.

The tradition began when the two teams first played against each other in 1930. Both schools have played against each other regularly since then. In 1959, the captain of the Cortland football team and the captain of the Ithaca team were close friends. They decided to buy a 2 dollar milk jug from a local yard sale and decorated it with the school’s colors. The winner of the game would receive the jug as a trophy, and they would be marked with the score and victor of each game on the jug. Cortland won the trophy in 1959, and ever since then, the tradition was born. Since then there have been three jugs made to continue the tradition as each jug was soon filled and unable to contain any more scores on it. Currently, Cortland holds onto the jug trophy.

In 2019, the Cortaca Jug game occurred at Metlife Stadium, bringing in over 45,000 fans. In 2022, the Cortaca Jug game was hosted at Yankee Stadium. This game in particular brought in over 40,000 fans. The following year the game was hosted back at Ithaca. Now in the 2024 season, the game is hosted in Cortland. 

The Cortland Football team was NCAA Division Three champions last season, and currently remain undefeated. The Ithaca Football team last season went 9-3. Currently, Ithaca is 3-3. In previous years when these two teams faced off the score was very close only varying by a touchdown. Both schools also host watch parties and the annual football game becomes an all-day event that students look forward to all year. 

Tickets will become available to purchase on November 3rd at noon. They are 15 dollars plus fees. The game will also be live-streamed through ICTV and can be viewed through the Ithaca College student-run TV network. 

SUNY Cortland is an hour and fifteen-minute drive from SUNY Oneonta, so students who wish to attend the game and have a vehicle can get to the game with no problem.