The Cornell Rams have built a solid Midwestern Conference program since they made the jump from the American Rivers Conference (then Iowa Intercollege Athletic Conference) to the Midwest Conference after the 2011-2012 athletic year.
This year, the Cornell College Rams will have a new first-year head Curt Ritchie, who was recently inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and moves to Cornell after almost a quarter century as the head coach of the Williamsburg Raiders. His resume is impressive: 245 career wins (204 at Williamsburg, 41 at English Valleys, North English) in 32 years as a head coach, seven state semifinal appearances, four state championship game appearances, and the 2023 Class 3A State Championship.
Ritchie has a track record of molding young men and preparing them for the next level of football.
The last four years of Rams Football have been a mixed bag of statistical results that Coach Ritchie and his staff will be working to improve upon.
The Midwest Conference is a tough conference to climb as Monmouth and Lake Forest have been the top two teams the past four years (with the 2021 season being COVID-canceled we focus our analysis on the last four years). The group of “Midwest Next 4” consist of – Illinois College – University of Chicago – Cornell – Ripon have all been in the 3-6th positions for the past four years and are working to break through to the top.
The Cornell Rams in 2025 are working to establish the Next 4 foundation this year under Coach Ritchie and then start the build for the top of the Midwest Conference over time. Editors Note: the DIII level has no large transfer portal for a quick fix, so it is like the good old days like when Iowa hires Kirk Ferentz in 1999, and they have to build from very little over a number of years, Iowa State had a similar slow build story with Dan McCarney.
It is not easy to do at the DIII level, but the right coaching staff and commitment from the administration can make a football program build, so fun to be part of and watch as a fan.
So, let’s take a look at Cornell’s 2025 Football Schedule.
This Rams kick off the season on Thursday September 4th, in Mt. Vernon when Coe College meets Cornell College in the “oldest college football rivalry game” west of the Mississippi River. The annual showdown which started in 1891 (yes, that is not a typo) will be by my count the 135th meeting between the two teams this year in Mt. Vernon. Coe is shooting for their 25th straight win in the series.
Cornell was picked 5th in the preseason Midwest Conference poll. The home game the next week #2 against Chicago (tied for #3 preseason) will be a big contest. The extra couple of days rest after the Coe game on a Thursday night might be very beneficial.
Other games to circle on the calendar are Week #5 at home against Ripon (#6 preseason). Week 7 at home against Lake Forest (#2 preseason) and week 9 at home against Illinois College (tied for #3 preseason). If Cornell can win two of those four conference games, that would be a fantastic start to the Ritchie Cornell era.
Cornell roster analysis – Roster 81 Players – 18 Iowa High School Players on the 2025 Football Roster
In looking at the schedule if I had to set a floor, I would say 4 wins with a ceiling of 7, maybe 8 wins. Coe is a top-tier DIII program (Power 5) in the Midwest and the very tough A-R-C so that game will be more likely a show improvement game.
The fact that the four circle the calendar games I mentioned above are all home games – Chicago, Ripon, Lake Forest, and Illinois College in that order gives the Rams the chance to spring an upset and win the Chicago game and get on a roll. Momentum is very big in football. The one factor that gives me pause to getting on a big momentum run, is that the roster size is only 81 players (in 2024 it was 99), which often happens during coaching changes. So, staying healthy is a big variable, as depth in 2025 will be limited.
Coach Ritchie is a Hall of Fame coach in Iowa, so I predict progress will be made over the next few years, but getting to 8 wins in 2025 would be a hockey stick type improvement. It will take time to get to the roster depth and talent level he and his coaching staff want in Mt. Vernon.
The schedule and new staff does give the Rams a chance to overachieve their #5 preseason ranking and start building a foundation to continue their climb in the Midwest Conference.
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