Cornell Big Red football | |||
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First season | 1887; 137 years ago | ||
Athletic director | Nicki Moore | ||
Head coach | Dan Swanstrom 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
Stadium | Schoellkopf Field (capacity: 25,597) | ||
Field surface | Artificial turf | ||
Location | Ithaca, New York, U.S. | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | Ivy League | ||
All-time record | 655–555–34 (.540) | ||
Claimed national titles | 5 (1915, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1939) | ||
Conference titles | 3 (1971, 1988, 1990) | ||
Rivalries | Colgate (rivalry) Columbia (rivalry) Dartmouth (rivalry) Penn (rivalry) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 16 | ||
Current uniform | |||
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Colors | Carnelian red and white [1] | ||
Fight song | "Give My Regards to Davy" | ||
Website | CornellBigRed.com |
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation. The team has attained five national championships and has had seven players inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1869, the first intramural football on the Cornell campus took place, although it did not resemble the modern sport and there were 40 players per side. In 1874, the university president and co-founder, Andrew Dickson White, disallowed a team of Cornell students from traveling to Cleveland to play Michigan. White said, "I refuse to let 40 of our boys travel 400 miles merely to agitate a bag of wind." [2]
On November 12, 1887, Cornell played its first intercollegiate game against Union College, losing 24–10. The following year, Cornell recorded their first win by beating Palmyra, 26–0, and went on to finish the season with a 4–2 record. [2] In 1889, Cornell played the University of Michigan Wolverines in Buffalo, New York, shutting out Michigan in a 66–0 victory. [3]
In 1892, Pop Warner first played the game, and the Cornellians finished the season with a 10–1 record under head coach Carl Johanson, often referred to as the "Father of Cornell football". Two years later, in 1894, Warner rose to become the team's captain. After college, Warner began his coaching career and returned to Cornell in 1897. That year, he led the team to a 5–3–1 record. The following season, Cornell compiled a 10–2 record. Warner then moved on to coach the Carlisle Indians football team. [2]
In 1901, under first-year coach Ray Starbuck, the Cornellians outscored their opponents 324–38 and won 11 games for the only time in school history. Pop Warner returned as head coach from 1904 to 1906, during which time his teams posted a 21–8 record. [2]
Cornell began playing Ivy League rival Penn in 1893. They have played 129 times since, in every year except 1918 and 2020, making this game the sixth-most played college football contest in the nation.
In 1915, Cornell won all nine of its games. They handed Harvard their first loss in 50 consecutive games, 10–0. Gil Dobie took over as head coach in 1920. In his first season, the Cornellians posted a 6–2 record, but in each of the subsequent three years they finished 8–0. Cornell was awarded the national championship for each of those three seasons by at least one selector. In those seasons, Cornell outscored its opponents, 1,051 points to 71. [2]
Cornell defeated Penn State, 21–6, in 1938 to begin a school record unbeaten streak of 16 games. The Big Red compiled an 8–0 record in 1939 for its fifth national championship. The possibility of a Rose Bowl invitation that season was rebuffed by the university administration. The unbeaten streak came to an end in 1940 with the infamous Fifth Down Game. [2] After the game, Cornell voluntarily forfeited to Dartmouth when review of film showed the Big Red had inadvertently used five downs. [4] The ESPN College Football Encyclopedia named the game, and Cornell's honorable concession, the second greatest moment in college football history. [5]
In 1951, Cornell beat defending Big Ten and Rose Bowl champion Michigan, 20–7. Between 1969 and 1971, running back Ed Marinaro broke numerous NCAA records with a career total of 1,881 yards and 24 touchdowns. His senior year, he finished as runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Pat Sullivan of Auburn. That same season, Cornell finished 6–1 to secure a share of the Ivy League conference championship for the first time. Following the 1981 season, the Ivy League was reclassified to Division I-AA, today known as the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Cornell moved to Division I-AA play with the rest of the league. [6] Cornell twice more attained the Ivy League title, shared in 1988 with Penn and shared with Dartmouth in 1990. [2] Beginning in 2018, Cornell has played New York State Ivy League rival, the Columbia Lions, in their final game. The victor is awarded the Empire Cup.
The Ivy League announced that no sports would be played in the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [7] The Big Red returned to Schoellkopf in September 2021 to play Virginia Military Institute, its first game after a 665-day hiatus. [8]
Cornell has won five (1915, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1939) national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors. [9] [10] : 111–112 Cornell claims all five championships. [11] [12] [13]
Year | Selectors | Coach | Record |
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1915 | Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis | Al Sharpe | 9–0 |
1921 | Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis | Gil Dobie | 8–0 |
1922 | Helms, Parke Davis | Gil Dobie | 8–0 |
1923 | Sagarin | Gil Dobie | 8–0 |
1939 | Litkenhous, Sagarin | Carl Snavely | 8–0 |
Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
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1971 | Ivy League | Jack Musick | 8–1 | 6–1 |
1988 | Ivy League | Maxie Baughan | 7–2–1 | 6–1 |
1990 | Ivy League | Jim Hofher | 7–3 | 6–1 |
Cornell has several rivalries in football, most significantly the Penn Quakers. The rivalry between the two schools is the sixth most played rivalry in college football history. They play for the Trustees' Cup. The series is led by Penn with a record of 77–47–5.
As of 2024, 23 Cornell Big Red football players have been selected by NFL teams in the annual NFL Draft:
B | Back | K | Kicker | NT | Nose tackle |
C | Center | LB | Linebacker | FB | Fullback |
DB | Defensive back | P | Punter | HB | Halfback |
DE | Defensive end | QB | Quarterback | WR | Wide receiver |
DT | Defensive tackle | RB | Running back | G | Guard |
E | End | T | Offensive tackle | TE | Tight end |
Year | Round | Pick in round | Overall pick | Player | Team | Position |
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2013 | 4 | 25 | 122 | JC Tretter | Green Bay Packers | T |
2006 | 6 | 7 | 176 | Kevin Boothe | Los Angeles Raiders | T |
1997 | 4 | 18 | 114 | Seth Payne | Jacksonville Jaguars | DT |
1997 | 4 | 27 | 123 | Chad Levitt | Oakland Raiders | RB |
1984 | 9 | 24 | 248 | Derrick Harmon | San Francisco 49ers | RB |
1974 | 9 | 26 | 234 | Bob Lally | Miami Dolphins | LB |
1974 | 14 | 22 | 360 | Mike Phillips | Cincinnati Bengals | T |
1972 | 2 | 24 | 50 | Ed Marinaro | Minnesota Vikings | RB |
1969 | 10 | 23 | 257 | John Sponheimer | Kansas City Chiefs | DT |
1967 | 9 | 11 | 222 | Pete Larson | Washington Redskins | RB |
1964 | 8 | 11 | 109 | Gary Wood | New York Giants | QB |
1956 | 18 | 7 | 212 | Stan Intihar | Green Bay Packers | E |
1956 | 28 | 2 | 327 | Bill DeGraaf | Pittsburgh Steelers | B |
1955 | 13 | 3 | 148 | Len Oniskey | Washington Redskins | T |
1954 | 28 | 8 | 333 | John Gerdes | Philadelphia Eagles | T |
1951 | 26 | 4 | 307 | Jeff Fleischmann | St. Louis Cardinals | B |
1949 | 8 | 10 | 81 | Bob Dean | Philadelphia Eagles | B |
1949 | 18 | 6 | 177 | Hillary Chollet | Los Angeles Rams | B |
1949 | 25 | 3 | 244 | Paul Girolamo | New York Yanks | B |
1947 | 5 | 4 | 29 | Frank Wydo | Pittsburgh Steelers | T |
1946 | 9 | 2 | 72 | Al Dekdebrun | New York Yanks | B |
1946 | 25 | 6 | 236 | Chick Davidson | Green Bay Packers | T |
1945 | 22 | 4 | 223 | Walt Kretz | New York Yanks | B |
1945 | 22 | 7 | 226 | Chick Davidson | Washington Redskins | T |
1944 | 25 | 7 | 259 | Joe Martin | Washington Redskins | B |
1944 | 30 | 2 | 309 | Howard Blose | Brooklyn Dodgers | B |
1941 | 10 | 7 | 87 | Walt Matuszczak | New York Giants | B |
1941 | 11 | 4 | 94 | Nick Drahos | Los Angeles Rams | T |
1941 | 17 | 4 | 154 | Kirk Hershey | Los Angeles Rams | E |
1941 | 22 | 2 | 204 | Mort Landsberg | Pittsburgh Steelers | B |
1940 | 21 | 4 | 194 | Vince Eichler | Green Bay Packers | B |
1939 | 10 | 4 | 84 | Bill McKeever | Philadelphia Eagles | T |
1939 | 11 | 3 | 93 | Sid Roth | Los Angeles Rams | G [14] |
Numerous undrafted players have also played in the NFL. [15] Pete Gogolak became the first soccer-style kicker in pro football in 1964; the most recent is Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Bryan Walters.
Cornell football, as well as the rest of the Ivy League Conference, currently[ when? ] has a deal with ESPN in which ESPN agreed to a long-term relationship to showcase Ivy League events through a variety of ESPN platforms, including at least 24 events annually on ESPN’s linear networks and more than 1,100 annually on ESPN+, one of ESPN's earliest conference partners after launching ESPN+. [16]
Announced schedules as of June 21, 2023. [17]
2024 |
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at Colgate |
Albany |
at Bucknell |
Ed Marinaro is an American actor and former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Cornell Big Red, where he was a unanimous All-American and won the Maxwell Award in 1971.
The Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports and other competitive teams that represent Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The university sponsors 37 varsity sports, and several intramural and club teams. Cornell participates in NCAA Division I as part of the Ivy League.
The 2011 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by second-year head coach Kent Austin and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season 5–5 overall and 3–4 in Ivy League play to place sixth. Cornell averaged 7,145 fans per game.
The 2013 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by first-year head coach David Archer and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season with a record of 3–7 overall and 2–5 in Ivy League play to place seventh. Cornell averaged 7,002 fans per game.
The 2014 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by second-year head coach David Archer and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season 1–9 overall and 1–6 in Ivy League play to place seventh. Cornell averaged 6,646 fans per game.
The 2015 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by third-year head coach David Archer and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season 1–9 overall and 1–6 in Ivy League play to tie for seventh place. Cornell averaged 8,124 fans per game.
The 2016 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by fourth-year head coach David Archer and play their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season 4–6 overall and 2–5 in Ivy League play to tie for sixth place.
The 2007 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season as member of the Ivy League. They were led by fourth-year head coach Jim Knowles and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York. Cornell finished the season 5–5 overall and 2–5 in Ivy League play. Cornell averaged 10,871 fans per game.
The 2017 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by fifth-year head coach David Archer and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season 3–7 overall and 3–4 in Ivy League play to tie for fifth place. Cornell averaged 6,793 fans per gam.
The 1971 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 1971 NCAA University Division football season as a member of the Ivy League. The Big Red were led by sixth-year head coach Jack Musick and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. The Big Red finished the season 8–1 overall and 6–1 in Ivy League play to win Cornell's first-ever Ivy League championship, sharing the title with Dartmouth, the only team to defeat the 1971 Big Red.
The 1988 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Ivy League. The Big Red were led by sixth-year head coach Maxie Baughan and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. The Big Red finished the season 7–2–1 overall and 6–1 in Ivy League play to win Cornell's second Ivy League championship, sharing the title with Penn.
The 2018 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by sixth-year head coach David Archer and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell finished the season 3–7 overall 2–5 in Ivy League play to place seventh. Cornell averaged 6,601 fans per game.
The 2019 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ivy League. They were led by seventh-year head coach David Archer and played their home games at Schoellkopf Field. They finished the season 4–6 overall and 3–4 in Ivy League play to tie for fourth place. Cornell averaged 4,295 fans per game in 2019.
The 1967 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University during the 1967 NCAA University Division football season. Cornell finished third in the Ivy League.
The 1969 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University during the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. Cornell finished fourth in the Ivy League.
The 1976 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University in the Ivy League during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In its second and final season under head coach George Seifert, the Big Red compiled a 2–7 record and was outscored 177 to 109. Team captains were chosen on a game-by-game basis, and home games were played on campus at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.
The 1986 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University during the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Cornell finished second in the Ivy League.
The 2000 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Cornell finished second in the Ivy League.
The 2024 Cornell Big Red football team will represent Cornell University as a member of the Ivy League during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team will be led by first-year head coach Dan Swanstrom and will play its home games at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.