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Columbia vs. Cornell

Columbia and Cornell first met in 1889 and have played 91 times; Cornell leads the series 52–⁠36–⁠3. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Columbia 7–⁠3, and Columbia has won the last 5. The winner takes home the Empire Cup, played for since 2010. Columbia has held it since the 2021 game.

Columbia wins
36
Cornell wins
52
Ties
3
First meeting
1889
Longest streak
6 Cornell
Current streak
5 Columbia
Last 10 meetings
Columbia 7–⁠3
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1880s0–⁠1
1890s0–⁠2
1900s3–⁠1
1920s1–⁠7–⁠2
1930s5–⁠4–⁠1
1940s4–⁠6
1950s3–⁠7
1960s4–⁠6
1970s3–⁠7
1980s0–⁠2
2000s4–⁠3
2010s4–⁠6
2020s5–⁠0
Average margin
14.7 points; 35 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Columbia
23–⁠21–⁠1 Columbia’s record at home
At Cornell
30–⁠13–⁠2 Cornell’s record at home
Neutral sites
0–⁠1 Columbia first
Shutouts
23

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Empire Cup

Played for since
2010
Held by
Columbia since the 2021 game
Games for it on file
15 Columbia 9, Cornell 6

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since 2010 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The rivalry’s article counts the games for it: Columbia leads, 9–⁠6. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Empire Cup.

Games that tell the story

  1. Columbia’s biggest win1960: Columbia 44, Cornell 6by 38 points
  2. Cornell’s biggest win1922: Cornell 56, Columbia 0by 56 points
  3. Upset1946: Cornell 12, Columbia 0Cornell had a 19% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1951: Columbia 21, Cornell 20Columbia had a 21% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset1968: Columbia 34, Cornell 25Columbia had a 25% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsColumbiaSeriesCornell
1920–⁠1922Frank “Buck” O’Neill0–⁠3Gilmour Dobie
1925–⁠1929Charles Crowley1–⁠2–⁠2Gilmour Dobie
1930–⁠1935Lou Little4–⁠1–⁠1Gilmour Dobie
1936–⁠1940Lou Little1–⁠4Carl Snavely
1947–⁠1956Lou Little4–⁠6George James
1957–⁠1960Aldo Donelli1–⁠3George James
1961–⁠1965Aldo Donelli2–⁠3Tom Harp
1968–⁠1973Frank Navarro2–⁠4Jack Musick
1977–⁠1979Bill Campbell0–⁠3Bob Blackman

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Columbia’s side (O’Neill 0–⁠3 against Dobie). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Columbia and Cornell, 1889 on1300150017001900192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

From the newspapers

  • The The Worcester spy's story of the 1899 game: CORNELL GETS Cash and GLORY. Defeats Columbia, Although Latter Was Favorite. RED AND WHITE WON 29-toO Loss Of Wright, the Big Center Was Felt by. the Gothamites First Half Was Close But in the Second the Ithacans Scored At Will.

    1899 · The Worcester spy, Worcester, Mass., Nov 8, 1899

  • The The sun's story of the 1901 game: COLUMBIA ROUTEDB BY CORNELL ITHACA FOOTBALL TEAM WINS BY TIE SCORE or "a TO o. The First Half stubborniy Contested. but Tn the Second the visitors Make Touch downs Rapidly brewster Runs Os Yards through Entire Light HUI Line.

    1901 · The sun, New York [N.Y.], Nov 17, 1901

  • The The sun's story of the 1903 game: CORNELL BRACES roo LATE. Columbia Gets . Big Lead and Wins Game by Score OF IL TO IL.

    1903 · The sun, Nov 15, 1903

  • The New-York tribune's story of the 1904 game: WINS A BIG GAME AT LAST. COLUMBIA, Ie; CORNELL, 6. Scoring Done in Last Half-Thorpe Blue and White Star.

    1904 · New-York tribune, New York [N.Y.], Nov 13, 1904

  • The The sun's story of the 1905 game: COLUMBIA STANDS THE GAFF. VIEW WORKERS OUTLAST CORNELL AND WIN, II To O. Third Straight Victory for Morlry's Men GAINED on Percy Field -Csyugans. Out played, DiscOnS0latc- Duden. Fisher and Won Saltza Factors In Triumph

    1905 · The sun, New York, Nov 19, 1905

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

Photos

  • Columbia Lions running back Griffin Johnson. Cornell Big Red at Columbia Lions football, 23 November 2024
    Columbia Lions running back Griffin Johnson. Cornell Big Red at Columbia Lions football, 23 November 2024Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • 50 Yard line at Robert Kraft Field at Wien Stadium. 23 November, 2024
    50 Yard line at Robert Kraft Field at Wien Stadium. 23 November, 2024Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • Chris Batti, Columbia Lions tight ends coach. Cornell Big Red at Columbia Lions football, 23 November, 2024
    Chris Batti, Columbia Lions tight ends coach. Cornell Big Red at Columbia Lions football, 23 November, 2024Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • Columbia vs. Cornell, 2024
    Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2024 game
  • Cornell University cheerleaders at the Cornell vs Columbia football game. Wien Stadium, November 11, 2018
    Cornell University cheerleaders at the Cornell vs Columbia football game. Wien Stadium, November 11, 2018Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2018 game
  • iPhone panorama view of Wien Stadium, Columbia University. Looking south. Cornell vs Columbia football at Wien Stadium, Columbia University, November 17, 2018
    iPhone panorama view of Wien Stadium, Columbia University. Looking south. Cornell vs Columbia football at Wien Stadium, Columbia University, November 17, 2018Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2018 game

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Nov 21, 2026Cornell at Columbia upcomingat Columbia
Nov 22, 2025Columbia 29, Cornell 12at Cornell
Nov 23, 2024Columbia 17, Cornell 9at Columbia
Nov 18, 2023Columbia 29, Cornell 14at Cornell
Nov 19, 2022Columbia 45, Cornell 22at Columbia
Nov 20, 2021Columbia 34, Cornell 26at Cornell
Nov 23, 2019Cornell 35, Columbia 9at Cornell
Nov 17, 2018Columbia 24, Cornell 21at Columbia
Nov 11, 2017Columbia 18, Cornell 8at Cornell
Nov 12, 2016Cornell 42, Columbia 40at Columbia
Nov 14, 2015Cornell 3, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 15, 2014Cornell 30, Columbia 27at Columbia
Nov 16, 2013Cornell 24, Columbia 9at Cornell
Nov 10, 2012Columbia 34, Cornell 17at Columbia
Nov 12, 2011Cornell 62, Columbia 41at Cornell
Nov 13, 2010Columbia 20, Cornell 17at Columbia
Nov 14, 2009Columbia 30, Cornell 20at Cornell
Nov 15, 2008Columbia 17, Cornell 7at Columbia
Nov 10, 2007Cornell 34, Columbia 14at Cornell
Nov 11, 2006Columbia 21, Cornell 14at Columbia
Nov 12, 2005Cornell 45, Columbia 7at Cornell
Nov 13, 2004Cornell 32, Columbia 26Neutral site
Nov 15, 2003Columbia 34, Cornell 21at Cornell
Nov 14, 1981Cornell 15, Columbia 9at Cornell
Nov 15, 1980Cornell 24, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 10, 1979Cornell 24, Columbia 7at Cornell
Nov 11, 1978Cornell 35, Columbia 14at Columbia
Nov 5, 1977Cornell 20, Columbia 7at Cornell
Nov 6, 1976Columbia 35, Cornell 17at Columbia
Nov 1, 1975Columbia 42, Cornell 19at Cornell
Nov 2, 1974Cornell 24, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 3, 1973Cornell 44, Columbia 14at Cornell
Nov 4, 1972Columbia 14, Cornell 0at Columbia
Oct 30, 1971Cornell 24, Columbia 21at Cornell
Oct 31, 1970Cornell 31, Columbia 20at Columbia
Nov 1, 1969Cornell 10, Columbia 3at Cornell
Nov 2, 1968Columbia 34, Cornell 25at Columbia
Nov 4, 1967Cornell 27, Columbia 14at Cornell
Oct 29, 1966Cornell 31, Columbia 6at Columbia
Oct 30, 1965Cornell 20, Columbia 6at Cornell
Oct 31, 1964Cornell 57, Columbia 20at Columbia
Nov 2, 1963Cornell 18, Columbia 17at Cornell
Nov 3, 1962Columbia 25, Cornell 21at Columbia
Nov 4, 1961Columbia 35, Cornell 7at Cornell
Oct 29, 1960Columbia 44, Cornell 6at Columbia
Oct 31, 1959Cornell 13, Columbia 7at Cornell
Nov 1, 1958Cornell 25, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 2, 1957Cornell 8, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 3, 1956Columbia 25, Cornell 19at Columbia
Oct 29, 1955Cornell 34, Columbia 19at Cornell
Oct 30, 1954Cornell 26, Columbia 0at Columbia
Oct 31, 1953Cornell 27, Columbia 13at Cornell
Nov 1, 1952Cornell 21, Columbia 14at Columbia
Nov 3, 1951Columbia 21, Cornell 20at Cornell
Nov 4, 1950Columbia 20, Cornell 19at Columbia
Oct 29, 19498Cornell 54, Columbia 0at Cornell
Oct 30, 1948Cornell 20, Columbia 13at Columbia
Nov 1, 194720Columbia 22, Cornell 0at Cornell
Nov 2, 1946Cornell 12, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 3, 194512Columbia 34, Cornell 26at Columbia
Nov 4, 1944Cornell 25, Columbia 7at Columbia
Oct 30, 1943Cornell 33, Columbia 6at Cornell
Oct 31, 1942Columbia 14, Cornell 13at Columbia
Nov 1, 1941Columbia 7, Cornell 0at Columbia
Nov 2, 19401Cornell 27, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 4, 19393Cornell 13, Columbia 7at Cornell
Oct 29, 193817Cornell 23, Columbia 7at Columbia
Oct 30, 1937Cornell 14, Columbia 0at Cornell
Oct 31, 1936Columbia 20, Cornell 13at Columbia
Nov 2, 1935Cornell 7, Columbia 7at Cornell
Nov 3, 1934Columbia 14, Cornell 0at Columbia
Nov 4, 1933Columbia 9, Cornell 6at Cornell
Oct 29, 1932Columbia 6, Cornell 0at Columbia
Oct 31, 1931Cornell 13, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 1, 1930Columbia 10, Cornell 7at Columbia
Nov 2, 1929Cornell 12, Columbia 6at Cornell
Nov 3, 1928Columbia 0, Cornell 0at Columbia
Oct 29, 1927Cornell 0, Columbia 0at Cornell
Oct 30, 1926Columbia 17, Cornell 9at Columbia
Oct 31, 1925Cornell 17, Columbia 14at Columbia
Nov 1, 1924Cornell 14, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 10, 1923Cornell 35, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 4, 1922Cornell 56, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 5, 1921Cornell 41, Columbia 7at Columbia
Nov 13, 1920Cornell 34, Columbia 7at Cornell
Nov 18, 1905Columbia 12, Cornell 6at Cornell
Nov 12, 1904Columbia 12, Cornell 6at Columbia
Nov 14, 1903Columbia 17, Cornell 12at Cornell
Nov 16, 1901Cornell 24, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 7, 1899Cornell 29, Columbia 0at Columbia
Nov 22, 1890Cornell 36, Columbia 0at Cornell
Nov 26, 1889Cornell 20, Columbia 0at Columbia

Every game is listed as played on the field.