The 1940 Cornell-Dartmouth football game is notable for being perhaps the only college football game whose outcome was changed after it had ended due to an official’s admission of a mistake. Initially, Cornell won the game 7-3, maintaining their win streak and ranking, despite Dartmouth’s contention that Cornell’s winning touchdown was scored on an unauthorized fifth down. The referee, upon reviewing game film and other documentation, recognized his error and officially reversed the decision, awarding the victory to Dartmouth.
This act of sportsmanship by Cornell, acknowledging the mistake and relinquishing the win, is rare in sports history. Comparatively, similar incidents in sports, such as a controversial game between Colorado and Missouri in 1990, have not been resolved by such admissions of error or acts of sportsmanship. The narrative underscores the unique character of the 1940 game and reflects on how the same situation might be handled differently in the modern sports climate, heavily influenced by factors like intense team loyalty and gambling.
