Ithaca College
8-2 2025 finalThe Bombers — a three-time NCAA Division III national champion, most recently in 1991 — and the leaders of the Cortaca Jug against Cortland, a rivalry that has packed Yankee Stadium and MetLife and set Division III attendance records.
The Bombers are patient.
The Bombers — a three-time NCAA Division III national champion, most recently in 1991 — and the leaders of the Cortaca Jug against Cortland, a rivalry that has packed Yankee Stadium and MetLife and set Division III attendance records.
Win the Cortaca Jug, win the conference, and end the long wait since 1991 with a deep NCAA Division III run back toward the Stagg Bowl.
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
Ithaca College sits 2nd in the Liberty League and 27th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — inside the projected 40-team field on the at-large math.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union (NY) | 6-0 | 8-3 | 60.9 |
| 2 | Ithaca College | 5-1 | 8-2 | 64.4 |
| 3 | Rensselaer | 4-2 | 8-3 | 60.0 |
| 4 | Hobart College | 3-3 | 6-5 | 52.6 |
| 5 | St. Lawrence | 2-4 | 4-6 | 44.1 |
| 6 | University of Rochester (NY) | 1-5 | 5-5 | 47.6 |
| 7 | Buffalo State | 0-6 | 1-9 | 34.3 |
Win the Liberty League for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Signature win 65-3 over Hilbert College; toughest day 14-42 against Johns Hopkins University.
The Pulse on Ithaca College
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Ithaca College
The baseline for a successful season.
The primary goal and national bracket path.
One of 32 national tournament entries.
The Division III national championship game.
Ithaca College · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
The Cortaca Jug
Ithaca College leads the all-time series 44-36-3 through 2025.
Played since 1930. They play for the Cortaca Jug — a yard-sale jug that now fills Yankee Stadium and MetLife — record D3 crowds.
Most recently, Ithaca College beat Cortland 26-21 in 2025.
Home-Field Advantage · Ithaca College · 2018-present
Above-Average
76% home win rate vs 78% on the road. margin runs +5.9 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Warming
Four of five. The board favors this trend.
Schedule Strength · Ithaca College · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 49% across 10 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.
Moment of the Year · Ithaca College · 2025
Won 45-14 at Alfred University
Week 3 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
Postseason History
Recent postseason (2023): 1-1
Most recent: 2023 — loss 46-0 (away). Last 5 postseason: 1-1.
From the Archive — Ithaca College
2022: Won 51-10 at Buffalo State
In 2022, the program won 51-10 at Buffalo State — a blowout road result that left the 41-point margin on the books.
Go Bombers.