Cortaca Camaraderie

By Patrick Bohn ’05, November 16, 2021

Viewing parties ensure IC fans can watch the Bombers with fellow alumni anywhere.

Whether you're with a few friends or a few hundred, there's always fun to be had at a Cortaca viewing party. (Photo on left courtesy of Tanya Hutchins '89, photo on right courtesy of Noah Aussems '19)

The 2021 Cortaca Jug was a dramatic, last-minute contest, and although the result did not go the Bombers’ way, that didn’t stop countless IC alums from getting together and taking in the Cortaca experience with friends and former classmates.

Viewing parties have been a Cortaca staple for years in cities around the country, including New York, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

The latter location is where Brian Visale ’97 opened the Grand Central Restaurant and Bar in 2007, and that’s when CortaCapital was born. His early attempts at a viewing party involved trying to stream the game over a DSL line — but it didn’t always go so well.

Bombers in the Bronx

Tickets are now on sale for the historic 2022 Cortaca Jug Game at Yankee Stadium. You can find all the information you need by clicking here.

“The technology hadn’t caught up to what we were trying to do, so there was always a lot of buffering,” he laughed. “But that’s okay, because when that happened, we’d just gather and talk.”

Around 2013, Visale hired a bartender who had graduated from Cortland, and the parties went to the next level — literally.

“He told me he wanted to work Cortaca, and then he showed up with around 60 other Cortland people,” Visale said. “They took over the upper part of the restaurant, and all the IC fans were on the lower level. Since then, it’s become progressively bigger and bigger.”

"Cortaca is a special time of the year when everyone from all ages that have an affiliation with IC in some way gets to come together. I take great pride in assisting the organization of this year’s event, especially since COVID has pushed alumni farther apart than ever.”

Noah Aussems ’19

Noah Aussems ’19, played football for the Bombers, so he knows how important the game is. Aiding in the organization of a viewing party in New York this year has given him an even deeper understanding.

"Cortaca is a special time of the year when everyone from all ages that have an affiliation with IC in some way gets to come together,” he said. “I take great pride in assisting the organization of this year’s event, especially since COVID has pushed alumni farther apart than ever.”

No matter which Cortaca viewing party you attend, you'll see a ton of IC spirit.

Aussems, who attended the historic 2019 game at MetLife Stadium and is going to the 2022 game at Yankee Stadium has loved seeing Cortaca grow from a major on-campus event to one of the biggest gatherings in IC history.

“As a fan, it's amazing to see the evolution of this ‘big little game,’” he said. “To watch Ithaca play Cortland in Metlife with that many people, and now to be going to Yankee Stadium next year it's awesome to see.”

Few Cortaca events can compare to the Cortaca viewing parties that have taken place over the last 15 years in Los Angeles. Ram Calley ’07 was a co-organizer of this year’s party, and has strong memories of seeing the event grow.

“Back in 2006, there wasn’t even a live video feed, so we listened to WICB online in a friend’s living room,” he said. “Over the years, as word of the event grew, we eventually had to move it to a local bar. With that came a lot more space and the ability to invite even more people.

“Since Cortaca was such a big moment when we were all on campus, it serves as a great reason for us to all get back together as alumni, whether you’re there to watch the game or just to reconnect with old friends,” Calley added.