The 67th Cortaca Jug will bring SUNY Cortland and Ithaca to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, giving one of Division III football's most recognizable rivalries a rare setting and a strong regional connection. There are 50 Long Island players on the two rosters, adding another local layer to a game already known for its history and intensity.
The rivalry dates back to 1930, and the Cortaca Jug has been awarded to the winner every year since 1959 except 2020, when it was not presented because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sports Illustrated once called it “the biggest little game in the nation,” and that label still fits a matchup that draws plenty of attention beyond the Division III level.
A rare Yankee Stadium matchup
This will be only the second time the game has been staged at Yankee Stadium. The previous meeting there came in 2022, when Ithaca won 34-17. Last year, Ithaca again took the upper hand with a 26-21 victory, so Cortland will be trying to flip the recent trend in a setting that should make the rivalry feel even bigger.
Tom Blumenauer said on Wednesday during a Zoom call that it is special to have a chance to compete in Yankee Stadium. That is the kind of stage that adds meaning to a game that already carries plenty of history, especially when the matchup is being played in front of a crowd that includes so many players from the same region.
Long Island ties on both sides
The most striking local detail is the number of Long Islanders involved. The two rosters include 50 players from Long Island, with 42 on one side and eight on the other. That makes the game a showcase not just for the rivalry, but for a region that continues to send talent to SUNY and Ithaca.
Among the players highlighted in the preview are Hayden Lovinsky and Nazair Jean, along with Tom Blumenauer’s comments on Brandon Maguire's group. Blumenauer said the pair has had great seasons and praised the way they have practiced, competed and continued to grow each day.
That kind of development matters in a rivalry game like this one. The Cortaca Jug is always about more than one afternoon, but with Yankee Stadium as the backdrop and so many familiar hometown connections on the field, Saturday's edition has a different feel.
