Cornell Big Red - Rivalries

Rivalries

Cornell maintains informal athletic rivalries with other collegiate institutions. The men's ice hockey team has a historic rivalry with Boston University, but, since BU left what became the ECAC Hockey conference to join Hockey East, this rivalry has been overshadowed by the more contemporary one with Harvard University, which was highlighted in the 1970 novel Love Story and its film adaptation. The men's ice hockey team also has rivalries with Clarkson and Colgate. Following tradition, when Harvard plays the men's ice hockey team at Cornell's Lynah Rink, some Big Red fans throw fish on the ice. Cornell has traditionally had a men's lacrosse rivalry with Johns Hopkins University and, since 1980, Syracuse University. And the rising soccer team has formed an impressive rivalry with Syracuse University after its recent close games.

Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania are long-time rivals in football. With more than 114 games played since their first meeting in 1893, this is the seventh most-played rivalry in college football. Cornell's football series against both the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College are tied for second longest uninterrupted college football match-ups in history, both dating back to 1919. The two teams play for the Trustee Cup. They are only surpassed by the Lehigh-Lafayette series, which is uninterrupted since 1897.

In polo, the men's and women's teams maintain rivalries with the University of Virginia and the University of Connecticut.

For men's lacrosse, Cornell and Princeton University have historically been the perennial favorites in the Ivy League and the Princeton game is usually the most anticipated Ivy-game. Fellow upstate schools Syracuse University and Hobart are also considered Cornell's lacrosse rivals.

Additionally, in Women's Equestrian Skidmore College is a constant rival.