First meeting May 5, 1896 Next meeting TBD | Latest meeting February 20, 2015 All-time record Cornell: 84–47–4 | |
The Cornell–Hobart rivalry is an intercollegiate lacrosse rivalry between the Cornell Big Red, which represent Cornell University, and Hobart Statesmen, which represent Hobart College. It is one of the oldest rivalries in college lacrosse and, as of 2014, has been played 135 times. The teams first met in 1896, in which Hobart prevailed, 2–1. As of 2014, Cornell leads the series 84–47–4. The game is sometimes referred to as the oldest ongoing college lacrosse series, although it is predated, for instance, by the 111-game Johns Hopkins–Maryland series which began in 1895.
Hobart fielded its first varsity-level lacrosse team in 1903, and in 1995, promoted its team from Division III to Division I to preserve the lacrosse rivalry with Cornell (and a similar one with Syracuse). In 2008, the continuation of the series was put in jeopardy when the Hobart Board of Trustees decided to reclassify its lacrosse program back to the Division III level on April 26. After an emotional reaction from the alumni community, however, the decision was reversed on May 1. The following day, Cornell played the first night game at Hobart's Boswell Field.