Long before the Power Four schools dominated college football, the Red were a force to be reckoned with — winning 5 national championships, 3 Ivy League championships and seeing 18 members of the Red inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame.
Here’s what to know about the Red and its nearly one and a half centuries of history.
The Early Years
The story of Cornell football began in 1887 when the Red played its first intercollegiate game, without an actual coach, against Union College. While the Red lost 24-10, this game represented the birth of the team Cornellians continue to flood the stands of Schoellkopf to watch.
It did not take long for the Red to secure its first victory in program history, with a blowout 26-0 win against Palmyra in its third game.
Marshall Newell became the Red’s first head coach in 1894, holding the position for two years while accumulating a combined record of 9 wins, 8 losses and 2 ties.
The year was 1915 when the Red became a dominant force in intercollegiate football, securing a perfect 9-0 record under head coach Albert Sharpe. Cornell sports were revolutionized by Sharpe as he spent time coaching Cornell’s football, basketball and baseball teams.
Charles Barrett ’1916, a two-time All-American and team captain of the Red, was a driving force behind the team’s championship run. Barrett is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes to ever play for the Red. In 1958, he was posthumously inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.
The 1915 team is honored on the benches surrounding the Touchdown the Bear statue outside of Teagle Hall.
Success continued for the Red as it went on to win three consecutive national championships while never losing a game from 1921 to 1924. All-Americans and College Football Hall of Famers such as Eddie Kaw ’1923 and George Pfann ’1923 were core members of these respective teams.
1936 | The Red facing off against the University of Pennsylvania (Courtesy of Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library).
1946 | A Red receiver prepares to catch the football (Courtesy of Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library).
Jerome Holland ’39 M.S. ’41 became the first African American to play for the Red. Holland quickly rose to stardom, becoming a consensus All-American during his time with the Red. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985.
Brud Holland '39 and Joe Holland '78 at Schoellkopf Field (Courtesy of Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library).
The Red won its fifth national championship in 1939 after a perfect 8-0 season.
1951 saw the Red take down Michigan, who were reigning Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions.
The game drew the largest crowd in Schoellkopf history, as over 35,000 attended the game.
The Start of Ivy League Play
1956 was a year notable not only for the Red, but for the entirety of college sports. While the Ivy League was formalized as a conference in 1854, the Ivy League conference officially began play in 1956. Unfortunately for the Red, it finished eighth, securing only one win against its seven new conference opponents.
After years of struggle in the Ivy League, Ed Marinaro ’72 put the Red back into the limelight during his record-breaking sophomore season in 1969.
Behind the play of Marinaro, the Red secured its first Ivy League championship in 1971, sharing the honor with Dartmouth since both teams finished with a conference record of six wins and one loss.
Marinaro finished the season with a then-NCAA record 1,881 yards and 24 touchdowns. These stats resulted in Marinaro nearly winning the Heisman Trophy, finishing as the runner-up. Following his career with the Red, the Minnesota Vikings selected Marinaro in the Second Round of the 1972 NFL Draft.
A close-up of Ed Marinaro '72 (Courtesy of Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library).
Ed Marinaro '72 celebrates (Courtesy of Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library).
The Red secured its two other Ivy League titles, finishing as co-champions with Penn in 1988 and Dartmouth in 1990. Scott Malaga ’89, a member of the 1988 team, and Mitch Lee ’90, a member of both the 1988 and 1990 teams, would be inducted into Cornell Athletics’ Hall of Fame for their strong play and leadership.
Notable Players of the Modern Era
Chad Levitt ’97 nearly broke Marinaro’s all-time rushing record during the 1996 season, falling short by only 58 yards after missing his final game with the Red. Despite not breaking the record, Levitt, now a Cornell Athletics Hall of Famer, is still considered one of the greatest running backs to play for the Red.
Ricky Rahne ’02 broke a wide range of Red records, becoming the Red’s all-time leader in passing yards, passes completed and passing touchdowns. These records would all ultimately be broken by legendary Red quarterback Jeff Matthews ’13.
Ricky Rahne ’02 runs with the football (Photo courtesy of Cornell Chronicle).
Jeff Matthews ’13 prepares to throw the football (Photo courtesy of Cornell Athletics).
Keith Ferguson ’03 still holds the record for most receptions and receiving yards, statistically making him one of the greatest receivers to ever play for the Red.
Grant Gellatly ’13 and Luke Tasker ’12 built resumes in the 2010s after finishing second and third for most receiving yards for the Red, respectively.
As of recently, Jameson Wang ’24 was a star for the Red, finishing his career with 51 passing touchdowns. This placed him behind only Rahne and Matthews for most touchdowns in program history. Wang was recently named 2026 MVP of the American Football League Europe after finishing the season with 41 touchdowns.
Now, names such as senior quarterback Garett Bass-Sulpizio, senior running back Ean Pope, senior tight end Ryder Kurtz, senior wide receiver Sam Musungu, senior safety Tommy MacPherson and head coach Dan Swanstrom continue to make their mark on the Red.
As it did in its first season in 1887, the Red (2-2, 1-1 Ivy) will face off against No. 4 Lehigh (6-0, 4-0 Patriot), continuing a rivalry baked into the very existence of Cornell’s football program.
This year’s homecoming game will begin at 2 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Schoellkopf Field. All the action will be available live on ESPN+.
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is a sports editor of the 144th Editorial Board and was previously the assistant sports editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
