This Saturday, the football team will have a chance to get its first Ivy League victory against Columbia. At halftime, though, all eyes will be on two Cornell students, who will be selected at random to attempt a 45-yard field goal. Each student has the opportunity to win $10,000 by splitting the uprights.
This event, put together by the Class of 2004, Class of 2005, and Cornell Athletic Promotions, is the first of its kind to occur on the Cornell campus.
“We want to support seniors at the last football game,” said Mike Rosenberg ’04, event coordinator and a representative of the Class of 2004.
The Class Councils, whose mission is to plan events that will reach every undergraduate on campus, created the contest in order to encourage student attendance and participation at the game.
“We picked this event because it has the capacity for attendance, and it needs the attendance,” Rosenberg said. “The team responds to the crowd. [It will] improve the team’s performance.”
Another reason the organizers picked the last game of the season for this promotion is to increase participation in the “Seniors on the Field” tradition, where seniors rush the field after the game.
The Cornell administration, from the top down, eagerly anticipates the event. President Jeffrey Lehman ’77 will not only be in attendance, he will also hold the two kicks in place.
If a student makes the field goal, the payment will come from TSI Sports, a company whose business is to sponsor events of this kind. Other events TSI Sports is involved with include halfcourt shot competitions at basketball events and hole-in-one golfing competitions. The Class Councils have bought an insurance policy that will provide the $10,000 prize if someone is able to accomplish this feat.
So far, 350 students have entered their names through e-mails. In order to enter the competition, students can e-mail Rosenberg at [email protected], sign up with class representatives on Ho Plaza over the next few days, or sign up outside Schoellkopf Stadium before the game on Saturday. One senior and one non-senior student will be chosen at random, with the contestants announced between the first and second quarters of the game. Students must have a valid Cornell ID with them to participate. Anyone who has been a member of an NCAA rugby, football, or soccer team since the 1997-98 season is not eligible.
“I think a lot of people would like to see someone win the money,” Rosenberg said. “It would be amazing if someone made the kick.”
Archived article by Olivia Dwyer