Cornell's basketball program dates to 1898 at the Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. The Big Red have won multiple Ivy League titles and are best remembered for their magical 2010 NCAA Tournament run. As an Ivy League school, Cornell does not offer athletic scholarships.
The 'Big Red' nickname simply references the university's official color, carnelian red, and has been used since the early 1900s — Cornell has no official mascot.
The 2010 NCAA Tournament run to the Sweet Sixteen, upsetting Temple and Wisconsin behind Ryan Wittman's sharpshooting, the best Ivy League tournament run in decades.
Cornell's Newman Arena is perched on a hill in Ithaca, New York, where the notoriously harsh winters have made visiting teams dread the trip — the joke is that 'Ithaca is Gorges' but the weather is not.
The Cornell Big Red compete in the Ivy League and hold an all-time record of 1356–1515 (.472 winning percentage) across 127 recorded seasons dating back to 1898-99.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 15-13 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Jon Jaques | |
| 2024-25 | 18-11 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Jon Jaques | |
| 2023-24 | 22-8 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2022-23 | 17-11 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2021-22 | 15-11 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2019-20 | 7-20 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2018-19 | 15-16 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2017-18 | 12-16 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2016-17 | 8-21 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Brian Earl | |
| 2015-16 | 10-18 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Bill Courtney | |
| 2014-15 | 13-17 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Bill Courtney | |
| 2013-14 | 2-26 | 1-13 (Ivy) | Bill Courtney | |
| 2012-13 | 13-18 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Bill Courtney | |
| 2011-12 | 12-16 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Bill Courtney | |
| 2010-11 | 10-18 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Bill Courtney | |
| 2009-10 | 29-5 | 13-1 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2008-09 | 21-10 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2007-08 | 22-6 | 14-0 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2006-07 | 16-12 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2005-06 | 13-15 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2004-05 | 13-14 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2003-04 | 11-16 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2002-03 | 9-18 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2001-02 | 5-22 | 2-12 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 2000-01 | 7-20 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Steve Donahue | |
| 1999-00 | 10-17 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1998-99 | 11-15 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1997-98 | 9-17 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1996-97 | 15-11 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1995-96 | 10-16 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Al Walker | |
| 1994-95 | 9-17 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Al Walker | |
| 1993-94 | 8-18 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Al Walker | |
| 1992-93 | 16-10 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1991-92 | 7-19 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1990-91 | 13-13 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Mike Dement | |
| 1989-90 | 12-17 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Mike Dement | |
| 1988-89 | 10-16 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Mike Dement | |
| 1987-88 | 17-10 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Mike Dement | |
| 1986-87 | 15-11 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Mike Dement | |
| 1985-86 | 14-12 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Tom Miller | |
| 1984-85 | 14-12 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Tom Miller | |
| 1983-84 | 16-10 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Tom Miller | |
| 1982-83 | 10-16 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Tom Miller | |
| 1981-82 | 10-16 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Tom Miller | |
| 1980-81 | 7-19 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Tom Miller | |
| 1979-80 | 5-19 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Ben Bluitt | |
| 1978-79 | 8-18 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Ben Bluitt | |
| 1977-78 | 9-17 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Ben Bluitt | |
| 1976-77 | 8-18 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Ben Bluitt | |
| 1975-76 | 8-18 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Ben Bluitt | |
| 1974-75 | 7-18 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Ben Bluitt | |
| 1973-74 | 3-23 | 1-13 (Ivy) | Jerry Lace,Tom Allen | |
| 1972-73 | 4-22 | 1-13 (Ivy) | Tony Coma | |
| 1971-72 | 5-19 | 1-13 (Ivy) | Jerry Lace | |
| 1970-71 | 5-21 | 1-13 (Ivy) | Jerry Lace | |
| 1969-70 | 7-16 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Jerry Lace | |
| 1968-69 | 12-13 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Jerry Lace | |
| 1967-68 | 14-11 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1966-67 | 19-5 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1965-66 | 15-9 | 10-4 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1964-65 | 19-5 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1963-64 | 15-10 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1962-63 | 12-12 | 6-7 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1961-62 | 18-7 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1960-61 | 14-10 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1959-60 | 13-10 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Sam MacNeil | |
| 1958-59 | 8-15 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1957-58 | 11-11 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1956-57 | 4-19 | 2-12 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1955-56 | 11-13 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1954-55 | 10-13 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1953-54 | 17-7 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1952-53 | 9-12 | 6-6 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1951-52 | 16-9 | 8-4 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1950-51 | 20-5 | 10-2 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | AP #14 |
| 1949-50 | 18-7 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1948-49 | 11-15 | 5-7 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1947-48 | 16-9 | 9-3 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1946-47 | 14-8 | 8-4 (Ivy) | Royner Greene | |
| 1945-46 | 12-5 | 6-2 (Ivy) | Speed Wilson | |
| 1944-45 | 12-5 | 4-2 (Ivy) | Speed Wilson | |
| 1943-44 | 9-11 | 2-6 (Ivy) | Speed Wilson | |
| 1942-43 | 7-15 | 6-6 (Ivy) | Speed Wilson | |
| 1941-42 | 9-12 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Blair Gullion | |
| 1940-41 | 17-6 | 9-3 (Ivy) | Blair Gullion | |
| 1939-40 | 10-13 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Blair Gullion | |
| 1938-39 | 12-12 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Blair Gullion | |
| 1937-38 | 11-7 | 6-6 (Ivy) | Bo Rowland | |
| 1936-37 | 3-14 | 0-12 (Ivy) | Bo Rowland | |
| 1935-36 | 5-12 | 3-9 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1934-35 | 5-15 | 3-9 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1933-34 | 10-6 | 9-3 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1932-33 | 6-11 | 1-9 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1931-32 | 10-10 | 6-4 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1930-31 | 10-9 | 4-6 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1929-30 | 6-12 | 3-7 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1928-29 | 9-11 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1927-28 | 7-11 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1926-27 | 5-13 | 4-6 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1925-26 | 8-12 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1924-25 | 7-8 | 3-7 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1923-24 | 13-3 | 8-2 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1922-23 | 15-6 | 6-4 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1921-22 | 14-5 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1920-21 | 12-10 | 6-4 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1919-20 | 14-6 | 4-6 (Ivy) | Howard Ortner | |
| 1918-19 | 11-3 | 2-3 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1917-18 | 11-4 | 7-3 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1916-17 | 6-10 | 1-9 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1915-16 | 13-5 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1914-15 | 12-4 | 7-3 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1913-14 | 14-2 | 8-2 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1912-13 | 11-4 | 7-1 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1911-12 | 6-7 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Paul Sternberg | |
| 1910-11 | 7-6 | 4-4 (Ivy) | Paul Sternberg | |
| 1909-10 | 7-6 | Ind | David Coogan | |
| 1908-09 | 13-10 | Ind | Walter Haggerty | |
| 1907-08 | 5-8 | 1-7 (Ivy) | Walter Haggerty | |
| 1906-07 | 1-11 | 1-9 (Ivy) | ||
| 1905-06 | 2-10 | 1-9 (Ivy) | ||
| 1904-05 | 5-16 | 2-6 (Ivy) | ||
| 1903-04 | 6-13 | 3-7 (Ivy) | ||
| 1902-03 | 6-6 | 2-6 (Ivy) | ||
| 1901-02 | 5-5 | 2-4 (Ivy) | ||
| 1900-01 | 2-4 | Ind | ||
| 1899-00 | 1-4 | Ind | ||
| 1898-99 | 1-3 | Ind |
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All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|