The Cortland Red Dragons football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the State University of New York at Cortland. The team competes in the NCAA Division III, and is a member of the Empire 8. The team plays its home games at James J. Grady '50, M '61 Field at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex or Grady Field for short in Cortland, New York. The Red Dragons are led by Tom Blumenauer, who has served as head coach since 2025. The Red Dragons won their first NCAA Division III national championship in 2023.
Year-by-year results Statistics correct as of the end of the 2025–26 college football season
NCAA Division III playoff berthNational championConference championDivision championUndefeated season
YearNCAA DivisionConferenceConference divisionCoachOverallConferenceFinal ranking Games Win Loss Tie Pct. Games Win Loss Tie Pct. Standing2007 III NJAC — Dan MacNeill 11 8 3 0 .727 7 6 1 0 .857 T–1st —2008 13 11 2 0 .846 9 9 0 0 1.000 1st 62009 11 0 (7)* 4 0 .000 9 0 (7)* 2 0 .000 3rd —2010 12 10 2 0 .833 9 8 1 0 .889 T–1st 182011 11 9 2 0 .818 9 7 2 0 .778 T–2nd —2012 11 9 2 0 .818 7 7 0 0 1.000 1st 242013 11 6 5 0 7 5 2 0 3rd —2014 10 5 5 0 7 4 3 0 4th —2015 Empire 8 12 9 3 0 8 6 2 0 T–1st 152016 11 5 6 0 8 3 5 0 T–6th —2017 11 7 4 0 7 5 2 0 T–2nd —2018 10 7 3 0 7 5 2 0 2nd —2019 11 8 3 0 6 5 1 0 T–1st —2021 Curt Fitzpatrick 12 11 1 0 6 6 0 0 1st 162022 11 9 2 0 6 6 0 0 1st 192023 15 14 1 0 7 7 0 0 1st 12024 12 11 1 0 7 7 0 0 1st 22025 Tom Blumenauer 11 8 3 0 7 7 0 0 1st 22 * All seven wins from the 2009 season were later vacated by the NCAA.
Postseason appearances NCAA Division III playoffs The Red Dragons have made fourteen appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 13–13 and one national championship.
1988 First RoundSecond Round HofstraIthaca W, 32–17L, 17–24 1989 First Round Union (NY) L, 14–42 1990 First Round Hofstra L, 9–35 1997 First Round TCNJ L, 30–34 2005 First Round Hobart L, 22–23 2008 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals Plymouth StateCurryMount Union W, 31–14W, 42–0L, 14–41 2010 First RoundSecond Round EndicottAlfred W, 49–35L, 20–34 2012 First RoundSecond Round Framingham StateWesley W, 20–19L, 6–56 2015 First RoundSecond Round SalisburyLinfield W, 45–21L, 22–38 2021 First RoundSecond Round SpringfieldRPI W, 26–21L, 14–21 2022 First Round Randolph–Macon L, 28–35 2023 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsStagg Bowl EndicottGrove CityAlmaRandolph–MaconNorth Central (IL) W, 23–17W, 25–24W, 58–41W, 49–14W, 38–37 2024 Second RoundThird Round EndicottSpringfield W, 17–9L, 28–40 2025 First Round Springfield L, 7–21
Rivalries Ithaca Bombers
Notable former players
Bob Bateson (1983), retired CFL & Italian Football League linebacker, current associate head coach of the Buffalo eXtreme Jake Ceresna (2016), NFL & CFL defensive end Scott Israel (BA, 1977), quarterback, former sheriff of Broward County, Florida, current police chief of Opa-locka, Florida. Kevin James, actor and comedian Ryan McCarthy (2002), head football coach at Central Connecticut University John Moiseichik (1946), professional basketball player in the National Basketball League Craig Peterson (2010), American football placekicker in the Indoor Football League Dan Pitcher (2011), NFL coach R-Kal Truluck (1997), NFL defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals
References
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