12/02/2025
The perennial Cortaca gridiron rivalry brought a new kind of competition this year, with SUNY Cortland coming out on top.
The SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College Sustainability Offices teamed up to host the first ever Cortaca Can Collection Competition to see which campus could collect the most cans.
The competition ran from Nov. 7 until 14, the day before the big game took place in Ithaca College’s Butterfield Stadium, with all proceeds donated to Cortland ReUse and Finger Lakes ReUse. In the end, Cortland beat Ithaca in can collections, 1,638 to 1,554, with the Red Dragons raising more than $80 for Cortland ReUse.
SUNY Cortland’s Green Reps and Ithaca College’s Eco Reps were crucial members of the effort — helping to engage the campus populations and count all of the cans collected.
“Watching the number (of cans) increase going head-to-head with the Bombers all week was so fun,” said Tiana Schelble, a Green Rep at Cortland. “I had such a fun time participating and can’t wait to do it again next year.”
The idea came from a brainstorming session about how to incorporate sustainability into the Cortaca celebrations, according to Megan Swing, Cortland’s energy and sustainability engagement coordinator.
“We wanted to do something that promoted sustainable behaviors in a fun way,” Swing said. “Especially one where we can come together and look at our collective impact.
“Just because the competition is over doesn’t mean proper recycling is.”
The 5-cent deposit collection cans remain in the Student Life Center, Hilltop and residence halls.
Swing encourages students to apply to become a Green Rep to join similar initiatives in the Spring 2026 semester. Interested students can find more details and apply online for the paid opportunity.