In its fourth season under head coach Bob Blackman, the team compiled a 5–5 record but was outscored 191 to 179.
Team captains were Tom Rohlfing and Dan Scully.
[1] Cornell's 5–2 conference record placed second in the Ivy League standings.
[2] Ivy League football teams expanded their schedules to 10 games in 1980, making this the first year since 1954 that the Big Red played three games against non-Ivy opponents.
Cornell played its home games at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.