Cornell University Athletics

1934
The Collegiate Sprint Football League is launched. Originally known as the Eastern 150-Pound Football League, the league sets a 150-pound limit for the players.

1936
The Big Red begins to assemble a team of players that would play informally throughout the year on the club circuit.

1937
Cornell enters its first season as a member of the Eastern 150-Pound Football League, becoming only the sixth school in the league. (Cornell remains as the third oldest school in the league after charter members Penn and Princeton.) After losing at Princeton in its first-ever game, 30-7, Cornell would go on to win three straight games. The streak is started by a victory over Haverling HS, 20-7. Under Coach Alfred Wolf, Cornell goes 3-2 on the season.

1938
The Big Red defeats Lafayette, 13-6, for its first victory against a collegiate team. The win is also Cornell’s first on the road.

1939
The Big Red is nearly perfect on defense. The team allows only five points a game including three shutouts on the season.

1942
Bob Grant takes over as coach and leads the Big Red to a 3-1 season.

1943
Play is stopped due to the outbreak of World War II.

1946
Bob Cullen serves as head coach for the season and revives the program and the sport in general. 

1947
Eddie Pierce becomes head coach for one season.

1948
Thomas Kane takes over the program and leads the team to a 3-2 record.

1949
Legendary Cornell Coach Ray Van Orman takes over the team for three seasons, in addition to his duties with the varsity football program.

1956
The Big Red defeats Columbia, 40-21, the first time Cornell scores 40 points in a game.

1958
After using eight different coaches in the previous 11 seasons, Bob Cullen returns to Cornell as head coach, a position he holds for 37 years.

1960
Cornell wins a dramatic 8-7 game over powerhouse Navy, the team’s first win over the Midshipmen in 15 tries. Navy held a 7-0 lead in the second quarter before the Big Red drove 80 yards through the rain and wind to get on the board. Despite the poor conditions, Cornell decided to use its strength, the passing game, to drive down the field. Ronald Levine ’61 passed to his brother Laurence Levine ’63 from 22 yards out to complete the score. Cornell elected to go for the two-point conversion, where Ron Levine completed the pass to Michael Deusing ’62 for the lead. With Navy driving towards the end of the game, Byran McCalmon ’62 intercepted a Midshipmen pass to seal the victory.

1962
In the first-ever night game in league history, Cornell defeats Columbia, 35-0, on the Lower Alumni Field.

1963
Cornell defeats Army, 8-7, becoming the first civilian program to beat Army. The Big Red then plays Navy for the championship at Schoellkopf Field, losing to the Midshipmen, 40-6. The game was significant for two reasons – it was the first-ever 150’s championship game to be played at Schoellkopf Field and due to the death of President John F. Kennedy the game was played in December, the first-ever sprint contest to be played in Ithaca in December.

1964
Cornell finishes with a record of 2-4, the Big Red’s last losing season until 1989.

1965
Terry Cullen joins his father on the coaching staff as the offensive coordinator.

1966
Cornell’s Bob Smith ’68 is a true two-way star, earning a spot on the offensive and defensive first-team all-conference teams. Smith is recognized for his blocking on the offensive line and his lockdown defense at safety.

1967
The league increases it weight limit to 158 pounds and changes its name to the Eastern Lightweight Football League. Despite a 3-3 record, Cornell leads the league with five all-league mentions.

1969
Despite losing 17 of 22 starters from the previous season, the Big Red finish with a record of 4-1-1. The season is highlighted with a victory over the defending champs, Army, 24-14.

1970
On October 31, tragedy struck the team as Ken Kunken ’72 becomes paralyzed from the neck down in a game against Columbia. Despite the injury, Kunken becomes a symbol of hope for the Big Red faithful. Through hard work and determination, he defies doctors expectations by learning how to type and operate an electric wheel chair, all while keeping up with a rigorous academic course load at Cornell.

1973
Dale Porter ’75 leads five Big Red all-league selections as the only repeating selection in the ELFL. Porter leads an offensive line that allows the Big Red to rush for nine touchdowns and over 1,000 yards on the ground.

1974
Cornell defeats Penn, 19-6, the first of 17 straight victories over the Quakers, a streak that lasts until 1988.

1975
For the first time in program history, Cullen and the Big Red are league champs, sharing the title with Princeton. Both teams finish with a record of 5-1, but the Big Red earn the victory in the head-to-head contest, as it defeats the Tigers 14-10 on October 24. Down 10-0 at halftime, Raymond Zagars ’76 rushes for a 17-yard touchdown in the third quarter and an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth to give the Big Red the lead over Princeton. For the season, Zagars leads the team in most offensive categories, including points (78), touchdowns (13), rushing yards (784), and receiving yards (194).

1976
The team makes a Christmas trip to Japan to compete in the Silk Bowl, a game between the Cornell lightweight team and a team of the best Japanese players. During the 15-day trip the Big Red went 1-1, defeating the Japanese All-Stars on Christmas Day in Tokyo, 9-0, before losing a week later, 17-16, in Nagoya.

1977
Terry Cullen assumes co-head coaching duties with his father.

1978
Cornell is a champion for the second time, but for the first time, the Big Red does not have to share the honor. Cornell’s 6-0 record is its first ever season without a loss. Guy Conces ’81 leads the defense with five interceptions and Russell Wolfe ’81 catches five touchdown passes from Marc Piccone ’79.

1979
Coach Bob Cullen officially retires, but remains a presence on the practice field and in the office until his death in 1996. Cornell continues to roll on, winning its first game 46-0 over Rutgers despite not playing the final ten minutes due to monsoon-like weather.

1982
Cornell continues its dominance by winning its third championship with an unblemished 7-0 record. The Big Red’s seven wins is the most in program history. The season ends with a dramatic 14-11 victory over Penn on October 29. Down 3-0 in the third quarter, Don Schiavetta ’84 ran for a 22-yard touchdown to give Cornell the lead. Mike Metz added some much-needed insurance with a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Schiavetta becomes the first tailback to run for over 500 yards when he shatters the team record with 626 yards. Paul Freeman ’84 passes for a then-record 763 yards.

1984
Cornell earns its fourth championship in a season of highlights. Bob Cullen receives the honor of having the league’s championship trophy named after him. Cullen is later inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame. On the field, Bill Bellamy ’87’s legs were honored twice by the league, earning all-league mentions as a running back and as a punter. Brian Miller ’85 becomes the first Cornell receiver with 1,000 yards for his career.

1986
For the fifth time in 12 years, Cornell is the league champion. The season opens with a come from behind victory over Army in the Anthracite Bowl in Pottsville, Pa., to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War. The Big Red trails, 17-14, at halftime, but a 22-yard field goal from Michael Milmoe ’89 ties the game in the third and Stephen Call ’87 scores the game-winner on a one-yard run.

1987
Dave Zittel ’88 becomes first Cornell quarterback with 2,000 career passing yards when he becomes the first Cornell quarterback to throw for more than 1,000 yards in a season (1,035). He also has seven passing touchdowns, including a season-high 63-yard TD pass to Drew Reese ’89.

1992
Evan Williams ’93 sets a school record with 1,196 passing yards. Williams, along with running back Alan Silver ’93, lead Cornell to a victory over Army, breaking a 21-game losing streak to the Cadets. Silver gains 105 yards on 25 carries as the Big Red wins, 20-17.

1995
Paul O’Connor ’96 highlights the season by throwing eight touchdowns and 1,028 yards.

1996
Former Coach Bob Cullen dies on September 22. Cornell defeats Princeton, 19-14, the following weekend. Later in the season, the Big Red participates in its first-ever overtime game, a double overtime classic against Penn in which the Big Red fall, 24-21.

1998
The league increases its weight limit to 166 pounds and changes its name to the current Collegiate Sprint Football League.

2001
Terry Cullen becomes the Terry Cullen Head Coach of Sprint Football when the positioned is endowed by Jay Cart ’71, ME’72 and his wife Juliann Reisner Cart ’71. Cornell competes in its first Pride Bowl.

2003
Despite the 2-4 record, the Big Red places a league-high eight players on the CSFL first-team, including six offensive players.

2005
The CSFL increases its weight limit to 172 pounds.

2006
The Big Red goes 6-0 and wins its first CSFL title since 1986. Cornell has league MVP Jason Remillard ’07 and 22 All-CSFL selections, including seven first-team picks. Remillard is a key two-way player, catching 11 passes for 254 yards, and on defense he records 22 tackles, with seven resulting in negative yardage to go along with two interceptions and a sack.

2007
Despite the expectation of a rebuilding year, the Big Red proves to be up to the challenge as the team finished third in the CSFL with a 4-2 overall record. The Big Red has 12 players on the All-CSFL team, including five first-team selections. Zak Dentes ’09 leads the league with 891 passing yards, earning him a first-team All-CSFL selection.

2008
Terry Cullen relinquishes some of the coaching duties to Bart Guccia who is named co-head coach. John Parke ’10 leads the league with 64 tackles to earn his third straight All-CSFL selection. Zak Dentes ’09 becomes Cornell’s all-time leading passer with 2,849 yards, while Michael Brennan ’10 becomes the most prolific receiver ever to play for the Big Red with 1,158 receiving yards.

2009
The 2009 season saw Terry Cullen and Bart Guccia continue their roles as co-head coaches, and the team on the field impressed with a record above .500 and a third-place finish. D.J. Schiavetta was third in the league in rushing, and Elliot Corey finished the year fourth in the CSFL for passing. Upall Sarker also had an impressive year receiving, where he wound up foruth in the league.

2010
Terry Cullen and Bart Guccia entered their third year as co-head coaches, and the Big Red fell just one game shy of sharing a league title with Penn and Army. Junior Doug Famularo was second in the CSFL with 645 rushing yards, and Elliot Corey completed his Cornell career with 810 passing yards and six touchdowns. Spenser Gruenenfelder led the CSFL with 463 receiving yards.

2011
For Terry Cullen and Bart Guccia's fourth year as co-head coaches, Cornell slipped to fourth in the league, though it did continue its eight-game unbeaten streak against Mansfield with two more victories. Transfer Abe Mellinger provided a great spark at receiver, and Doug Famularo eclipsed the 1,000-yard career rushing mark in the season finale against Mansfield. Quarterback Brendan Miller tossed 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

2012
The Big Red went 4-3 on the year including a 3-3 mark in conference play. The team extended its winning streak against Mansfield to nine straight and welcomed league newcomer Franklin Pierce to sprint football by handing the Ravens a loss.

2013
After an 0-4 start, the Big Red downed Princeton 50-19 on Schoellkopf Field and earned a 26-24 win over Mansfield - its tenth straight - in the final game of the season to finish 2-5, both overall and against CSFL opponents. Brendan Miller finished his illustrious career with 709 passing yards and 10 touchdowns (6 passing, 4 rushing).

2014
The Big Red kicked off the season with a dominant 28-7 victory over Franklin Pierce. The team would add a 55-0 victory at Princeton and a 38-21 victory over Mansfield in the season finale to extend its perfect record over the Mountaineers. Rob Pannullo emerged as a dynamic dual threat option at quarterback; finishing second on the team with 408 rushing yards and tied for first with four touchdowns, while he threw for 982 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Big Red had 16 players recognized on all-conference teams, headlined by Benjamin Herrera, Greg Zalevsky, Ryan Jackson and Christopher D'Ambrosio on the First Team.

2015
The Big Red opened the season by preserving its perfect 12-0 record over Mansfield, before rallying to a 36-15 victory over Franklin Pierce. Army West Point and Penn served Cornell a pair of home losses, but the Big Red routed Princeton on Senior Day. After a loss to Navy in Annapolis, Md., Cornell closed the season with a dominant win over Post. With a solid ground game led by quarterback Rob Pannullo, the Big Red scored 30 or more points on four occasions, the most in program history. Eleven members of the squad were named to All-CSFL teams, including Dan Alexander and Evan Zittel on the First Team.

2016
Cornell opened the season up at home against a tough loss to Navy before hitting the road and heading to Mansfield where it got its first win of the season, 30-12, and extended the win-streak over Mansfield to to 13 games. The Big Red then dropped two-straight games to Chestnut Hill and Army West Point before topping Post at home, 27-14. Cornell nearly upset eventual CSFL champion Penn on the road, but the Quakers squeaked out a win in the second overtime. Cornell closed the season with a tough loss at home after a comeback bid against Franklin Pierce fell short on the final drive. Rob Pannullo led the team in rushing (290) and passing (52-of-112, 656) while Will Griffen accumulated a team-high 717 all-purpose yards.

2017
In Bob Gneo’s first season as associate head coach, the team improved to a 4-3 record after going 2-5 the previous year. Cornell’s first two games resulted in dominating wins over Post and Mansfield before suffering its first loss to reigning CSFL champion Penn at home, 45-14. The Big Red rebounded with a 19-14 come-from-behind win at Franklin Pierce after a rushing touchdown from Connor Ostrander with 28 seconds left. Two tough opponents awaited the squad after that, as Navy and Army both handed Cornell lopsided losses. However, the Big Red closed out the season with a big 38-21 win at home over Post. Twelve team members earned All-CSFL honors, including three First-Team selections: Andrew Gerard-Baddoo (defense), Dominic LaBell (defense) and Karriem Royster (offense).