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In the northeastern region of the United States reside some of the most distinguished academic institutions in the world. Aside from the elite research capabilities they possess, these schools have been responsible for producing prominent figures and important leaders throughout our nation's history. These universities belong to the Ivy League.
The Ivy League is a conference of eight schools that have been playing intercollegiate football for more than 150 years. These programs have a rich college football history, dating back to the origins of our sport. Ivy League history and college football history were synonymous in the early years of the game.
Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at all eight Ivy League teams. We will dive deep into each school's traditions and memorable seasons, as well as notable players and coaches from their past. We will also look back at 2023 results and preview the 2024 season.
Cornell University Big Red, Ithaca, N.Y.
Nestled on the shores of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is home to one of two Ivy League football programs in New York State: the Cornell University Big Red. Since 1915, Cornell has played its home games on Schoellkopf Field, a beautifully constructed stadium named after former Big Red fullback and head coach Henry Schoellkopf.
The current head coach for Cornell is Dan Swanstrom, who will be in his first season leading the Big Red. Prior to being named as Cornell's 28th head football coach in December of 2023, Swanstrom was the offensive coordinator for two seasons for their Ivy League rival University of Pennsylvania Quakers. That was his second stint at Penn; he was previously the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator from 2014 to 2016.
Swanstrom is no stranger to the city of Ithaca, having spent five years as the head coach at Division III Ithaca College from 2017 to 2021. During his time as the head man for the Bombers, Swanstrom compiled a 32-11 record and led the team to three Liberty League championships.
Other coaching stops for Swanstrom included five years at Johns Hopkins University and a graduate assistantship with the University of Redlands. Swanstrom played quarterback at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., where he was a finalist for D-III Player of the Year as a senior in 2004. He was inducted into the Rhodes College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
History
Cornell played its first official college football game against Union College on November 12, 1887, in a 24-10 loss. Two years later, Cornell defeated the Michigan Wolverines 66-0 in Buffalo, N.Y. In 1892, the "Cornellians" finished the season 10-1 behind the strong play of a guard by the name of Glenn "Pop" Warner.
In the 1915 season, Cornell finished 9-0 including a 10-0 defeat of Harvard, snapping the Crimson's 50-game win streak. From 1921 to 1923, Cornell claimed three national championships as they went a combined 24-0. In 1939 they again went unbeaten and were invited to the Rose Bowl; school administrators forced the team to turn it down. After film of Cornell's victory over Dartmouth in 1940 showed that Cornell had mistakenly used a fifth down, team officials decided to forfeit the game voluntarily, ending what had been the school's longest winning streak.
Cornell has had several memorable seasons in the last half-century. The most successful was probably 1971, as the Big Red were led by running back and Heisman runner-up Ed Marinaro to an 8-1 record and a share of the Ivy League title. Cornell again won a share of the Ivy League title in 1988 and 1990, going 6-1 in league play in both seasons. 1990 was the last time the Big Red won the Ivy League championship.
Notable Alumni
Pop Warner is undoubtedly the most famous name associated with Cornell football, but his main passion before arriving on campus was baseball. In a chance encounter, Warner met Cornell's football coach Carl Johanson during his train ride to campus. Johanson strongly encouraged Warner to pursue football due to his size. Warner played at Cornell from 1892 to 1894 and returned to coach his alma mater two separate times beginning in 1897. Overall, he led Cornell to a 36-13-3 record in five seasons at the helm.
After graduating from Cornell, Warner was hired as the head coach at Iowa Agricultural Model and Farm (the cooler name for what is now referred to as Iowa State) and the University of Georgia, at the same time. Warner coached the team in Ames, Iowa beginning in August, and traveled to Athens, Ga. to coach UGA when their season kicked off a month and a half later. He maintained this dual role for the 1895 and 1896 seasons. After leaving Georgia for the head coach position at Cornell in 1897, he remained the Iowa State coach for three additional seasons.
Warner has had about as big an impact on the game of football as anyone in our sport's history. His most innovative and memorable years were his two stints with the Carlisle Indians beginning in 1899. Warner coached the all-world athlete Jim Thorpe beginning in 1907. He invented the body block, the single and double wing formations and the three-point stance. Warner was also one of the very first coaches to teach his players the spiral punt and pass, as well as the first to utilize a huddle.
Ed Marinaro is arguably Cornell's most outstanding player in program history. Marinaro was a running back for the Big Red from 1969-1971. The numbers speak for themselves: in 27 career games, Marinaro rushed for over 4,700 yards and 50 touchdowns. He smashed 16 NCAA records and was voted as an All-American three times.
In 1971, after leading the Big Red to a share of the Ivy League title, Marinaro finished second in the Heisman voting to Auburn QB Pat Sullivan. He also won the Maxwell Award in 1971 as the best college football player in the nation. Marinaro was drafted in the second round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
In six seasons, Marinaro rushed for over 1,300 yards and 6 TDs and racked up close to 1,200 receiving yards and 7 TD receptions. Marinaro played in Super Bowls VIII and IX while with the Vikings. After leaving pro football, Marinaro became an actor, most notably as Officer Joe Coffey on Hill Street Blues. More recently, he played the character Coach Marty Daniels on Blue Mountain State.
Rivalries
The Big Red primary rivalry game is the annual Trustees' Cup against Ivy League foe Penn. Dating back to 1893, the two teams have played 129 times overall and in every season except 1918 and 2020. It is the sixth most-played college football game in the country. Penn holds a commanding lead in the overall series and is 18-5 in the matchup since 2000.
Cornell has an intra-state rivalry with NYC's Columbia University in what is dubbed the Empire State Bowl. The Big Red have a large advantage in the overall series but have dropped the last three to the Lions. Cornell battled Dartmouth College in 101 consecutive seasons from 1919 to 2019, good for the second-longest uninterrupted rivalry in the FCS. The Big Green have a sizable lead in this rivalry, but the teams have split the last four meetings.
Uniforms
As its nickname suggests, Cornell's uniforms feature large quantities of red. The official color is known as "Carnelian" red. The jerseys boast a classic Ivy League look, with two red or white stripes on the sleeves. The pants are striped in either red or white down the legs while the red helmets have the classic block "C".
2023 Season Review
The 2023 campaign looked promising for the Big Red as they began the year 2-0, including an upset victory on the road against Yale. However, Cornell had to wait almost an entire month before claiming another victory, which came in a 36-14 defeat of Brown University. The Oct. 21 win against the Bears was the last win of the season, as the Big Red lost their remaining four games.
Cornell averaged just over 18 points per game in 2023, which was next to last in the Ivy League. The struggle to score points were present despite QB Jameson Wang ranking second in the conference in total offense. Wang was the Big Red's leading passer and leading rusher, throwing for 9 TD passes and running for eight more. Another bright spot on the offense was receiver Nicholas Laboy, who had 58 receptions and over 700 yards receiving.
Like the offense, the defense was next to last in the league, giving up over 24 PPG. The Big Red struggled against the run, giving up 165 yards rushing per game. They were the Ivy League's best defense against the pass, however, allowing only 176 yards per game. Their Achilles heel was in the red zone, allowing opponents to score on 23 of 27 opportunities, including 20 TDs.
2024 Season Outlook and Schedule
The Big Red should be much improved this year, and bringing in a coach like Swanstrom will help right the ship. The Big Red return Wang at QB, and running backs Eddy Tillman, Gannon Carothers and Ean Pope, all of whom carried the ball in 2023. Laboy is gone, but Davon Kiser is back at wideout after totaling over 450 yards and a pair of TD catches last season. Defensively, the Big Red lost some key pieces but will look to replace that production with big, physical veterans such as linebackers Hunter Sloan and Luke Banbury and 6-foot-4 safety Trey Harris.
Cornell begins their 2024 season on Sept. 21 against Colgate in a rematch of last year's frustrating 35-25 homecoming loss. On Oct. 11, the Big Red will take on Harvard at Schoellkopf Field in a Friday Night primetime matchup on ESPNU. Cornell will finish up the season with three consecutive rivalry games, starting Nov. 9 against Princeton. Cornell will conclude their home slate the next week against Dartmouth before heading to New York City on Nov. 23 to contend for the Empire Cup against Columbia.
Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs throughout the 2024 season for more coverage of your favorite Ivy League teams!
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Great article. I learned a great deal from reading it. Thanks