The Cornell Rams concluded their season with a 4-6 overall record (4-5 in the Midwest Conference). In Curt Ritchies 2nd year at the helm expectations were for a mid-level finish in the Midwest Conference (DIII).
Coach Ritchie was a late hire in 2025, and his staff had to scramble to get a class in place, so realistically, the first recruiting class for Coach Ritchie was the incoming 2026 class.
2026 Outlook and Results
Cornell went into the season with a very young football team with many first- and second-year players needing to play. The roster size was close to 100, with the largest incoming freshman football class ever coming to Mt. Vernon.
The incoming class was facing a tough schedule for a team predicted to finish 6th in the MWC preseason.
Coe College plays in the rugged A-R-C and is a top 30 program nationally every year. Monmouth and Lake Forest dominate the MWC and are top 40 programs and the University of Chicago is very solid program.
In looking at the results of the season. Cornell was solid defensively, as expected and struggled offensively behind a young offensive line and many young skill players.
The Grinnell and Luther games were where their offensive struggles showed up in close losses.
SGI 2026 Season Grade: C
In 2026, progress was made on roster size and development and the first real recruiting class for Coach Ritchie got the roster size up close to 100 this fall.
Some major renovations and improvements were made to the facilities at Ash Park the home to Cornell football for over 120 years. The large number of first and second year players had some ups and downs and the schedule for Cornell was tough. Going 4-1 at home was a plus but going 0-5 on the road was not.
So, our grade for 2026 was a C with some bright spots and hope for the future as the Rams continue to build their program in Mt. Vernon
