Ithaca College

A total of 45,161 fans were on hand to watch Ithaca College defeat SUNY Cortland 32-20 in the 2019 Cortaca Jug game on Saturday, November 16, setting a new all-time record for a Division III football game. It was the 61st time that Ithaca and Cortland have played for the Cortaca Jug, in what Sports Illustrated once referred to as “the biggest little game in the nation.”

The game was hosted by the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The previous record of 37,355 was set in 2017 for a game held at Target Field in Minneapolis.

“We are thrilled with the record-breaking turnout for the 61st Cortaca Jug Game at MetLife Stadium,” said Susan Bassett ’79, associate vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports. “It was an amazing experience to see the outpouring of support from the Ithaca College community. To finally witness the hard work put forth from everyone involved come to fruition Saturday afternoon was so gratifying. There is nothing ‘little’ about this game!”