Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be played tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. ET. The Cortaca Jug, the annual contest between intrastate rivals Ithaca College and SUNY Cortland, is up for grabs at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, NY, and YES Network will broadcast the affair with communications students from both programs in the booth, on the sideline, and in the broadcast compound for the second time in three years.
We've been talking to the schools about this for months, and we did our best to make sure that both of them would be represented [on the broadcast], says Mike Medvin, coordinating producer, YES Network. We made sure throughout the summer that everyone is on the same page, but also ready to embrace the emotions that come with this game.
A portion of the broadcast team for the 2026 Cortaca Jug on YES includes SUNY Cortland's Nevan Kearney (analyst), Brad Erceg (sideline reporter), Liam Sample (halftime show host), and Jack Lee (stage manager).The Ithaca College Bombers and the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons first played against each other on Oct. 18, 1930. After 1934, the two programs took nearly a decade and a half hiatus and resumed the yearly game on Oct. 23, 1948. 11 years later, the first official Cortaca Jug was awarded in 1959, and nearly every year since then - with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic - this game is circled on both school's calendar. That's only a sliver of the history that's jam-packed into this game, and to adequate convey these facts, figures, and storylines, YES Network worked closely with Ithaca's Roy H. Park School of Communications and SUNY Cortland's Communication and Media Studies Department to find the best of the best. Looking for participation from both schools, the search resulted in the commentary team of analysts Brad Romano (Ithaca College Class of 2029 from Flemington, NJ) and Nevan Kearney (SUNY Cortland Class of 2024 from Jamestown, NY), sideline reporters Sierra Cece Gabriel (Ithaca College Class of 2028 from Putnam Valley, NY) and Brad Erceg (SUNY Cortland Class of 2027 from Lake George, NY), and halftime show host Liam Sample (SUNY Cortland Class of 2026 from Plattsburgh, NY). Romano and Kearney will be joined by YES Network's studio host, reporter, and play-by-play announcer Chris Shearn. Elsewhere, other students will play a role on Saturday including stage manager Jack Lee (SUNY Cortland Class of 2027 from Wantagh, NY); stat runners Wrece Bethoney (SUNY Cortland Class of 2028 from Cortland, NY), Tyler Freeswick (SUNY Cortland Clas of 2028 from Union Vale, NY), Ben Hanan (Ithaca College Class of 2027 from Princeton, NJ), and Ethan Lafave (Ithaca College Class of 2029 from Thornton, CO); and broadcast truck shadows Alexander Katz (SUNY Cortland Class of 2028 from Centereach, NY), James Dannolfo (SUNY Cortland Class of 2029 from Mahopac, NY), Lauren Fonseca (Ithaca College Class of 2027 from Dedham, MA), and Avery Larson (Ithaca College Class of 2027 from Tewksbury, MA).
Since the initial call, the assembled team has collaborated with Shearn, Medvin, and YES Network's production team to prepare themselves for the televised broadcast. Most of the conversations has revolved around the script and the flow of the show, but it's also included words of encourage to break out of their shell and feel comfortable with repping their respective schools.
I really want to give them a chance to shine, says Medvin. One thing I told them was to not think like a typical broadcaster because I want them to tap into the rivalry. For example, wear a red and black tie for SUNY Cortland or a blue and yellow tie for Ithaca. I want them to also feel relaxed and act like they're talking about what's happening like they normally would.
Providing room to showcase their talents is the number one priority, but through the show's natural organization of items, the broadcast will have various ways of spotlighting each program. That includes an interview with two former players during the halftime show and leaning on each other in the booth, as well as Shearn's experience, to give each team's fanbase a deeper insight into their opponent's 2026 season.
Brad [Romano] knows Ithaca and Nevan knows SUNY Cortland better than anyone else because they've been entrenched in their programs the entire year, adds Medvin. They're two experts that know what they're doing, and they're really going to be able to teach those tuning in who aren't familiar with both teams.
This year in particular, the game being played at Yankee Stadium gives these students a chance to call the action at one of the most famous venues in sports. Since YES Network is accustomed to productions at the ballpark, the network is backing up these students with the best production workflows possible. This includes the behind-the-scenes technologies that are powering this broadcast as well as an engaging graphics package that will support the commentary team.
We have a ton of resources, cameras, replay angles, and mobile units in the production compound, continues Medvin. We're going to be covered and have the ability to do anything that we want.
The Cortaca Jug means a lot to the players on the field, but as an Ithaca College graduate in the Class of 2003, Medvin will be invested in every snap. He had the chance to be witness all four Cortaca Jug matchups during his collegiate years - his alma mater went 2-2 during that span with back-to-back wins during his sophomore and junior years. When he first came onto campus, he didn't know the magnitude of how much this game meant to both communities.
I learned that it's the biggest little game in the country, and the more yo
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Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
