The Old Dominion Monarchs football program represents Old Dominion University in U.S. college football. The first iteration of the team created in 1930 was known as the William & Mary Norfolk Division Braves. Founded in 2009, the current Monarchs team competed as an FCS independent for their first two seasons. In the 2011 season, they joined the Colonial Athletic Association and added conference games to their schedule, playing there until joining the Conference USA of the FBS in 2014. They joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.
According to sports historian Peter Stewart, in September 1930 a reporter asked Coach Tommy Scott whether the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary should have a football team. Scott answered that he had not thought of having one, but within two days a team was "put together hurriedly" and began playing other small colleges.[5] In late December 1932, the team played the University of Miami Hurricanes in Miami, after the four-year college sent an invitation to William & Mary which the two-year Norfolk Division accidentally received.[6] The college played football for 11 seasons (1930–1940), with a record of 42–36–4. The program was discontinued due to a rule against freshman players, a $10,000 debt,[7] and accreditation issues. The team lost every game in its last season, attendance was small, and Stewart believes that World War II would likely have forced the program to end regardless of other reasons.[5]
Bobby Wilder era (2007–2019)
Old Dominion vs. Savannah State in 2010 at Foreman Field
According to Senior Associate Athletic Director Debbie White, ODU had tried several times to restart a football team. The university wanted to improve ties to alumni, who often stated in exit interviews before graduation their wish for an ODU football team, and rarely revisited the campus.[5] On June 14, 2005, the Board of Visitors unanimously approved with a 14–0 vote to create a new football team to compete, along with the university's other sports teams, at the NCAA Division I level. The new football team were to begin play in 2009. On February 9, 2007, Athletic Director Jim Jarrett announced that Bobby Wilder, then the associate head football coach at the University of Maine, would be the head coach and the team signed its first recruiting class in 2008. As is the case with many new football programs, all players in 2008 were redshirted. These players, along with the recruiting class of 2009 and transfer players, comprised the initial 2009 roster.
Old Dominion began play in 2009 as an independent team at the Division I FCS level (formerly I-AA), and joined the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) for the 2011 season. In their first competitive season in 68 years, the Monarchs finished the season with a 9–2 record. That was the best winning record ever for a first-year program in college football's modern era.[8] The Monarchs were outscored by a total of only eight points in their two losses. Wilder's inaugural team finished the year ranked in the top ten in five FCS statistical categories, including second in sacks allowed, third in scoring offense, turnover margin and net punting. The 2009 Monarchs were ninth in rushing offense.[8]
ODU was fifth in FCS attendance in 2009, selling out all of their home games in the 19,782-seat Foreman Field.[9] Season tickets for the Monarchs' inaugural season sold out quickly and the school had to refund 1,065 orders.[10] Foreman Field, formerly the ODU field hockey and women's lacrosse teams' home venue, was renovated to accommodate the new football program. Field hockey and women's lacrosse were relocated to the Powhatan Sports Complex.
In its first three years of competition after its rebirth, Old Dominion compiled a 26–7 record and earned a berth in the 2011 FCS playoffs, hosting and defeating its crosstown rival Norfolk State. Also in 2011, after playing 27 games in its "modern era", ODU received its first Top 25 ranking on October 3, coming in at No. 21 in The Sports Network poll. The Monarchs were ranked among the Top Ten after competing in 33 games.[11]
CAA years: 2011–2012
In 2011, ODU completed their first season in the CAA with a 9–2 record and a second-place finish in the conference. Most media had picked ODU to finish near the bottom of the conference. However, ODU outperformed those predictions and ultimately hosted a first round FCS playoff game. On 26 November 2011 the ODU Monarchs beat their crosstown rivals, the Norfolk State Spartans, 35–18 to advance to the second round of the 2011 FCS playoffs.[12] ODU then traveled to Georgia to play the Georgia Southern Eagles in the second round of the playoffs, where they lost 55–48.[13] Following the season, the Monarchs finished 10th in the final poll.
In May 2012, it was officially announced that ODU would join C-USA for all sports effective July 1, 2013.[14]
Despite being voted ineligible for the conference automatic bid and conference title, the Monarchs finished atop the CAA with a 7–1 in conference record. By finishing the regular season 10–1, the Monarchs won an at large bid into the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs. The Monarchs lost to Georgia Southern 49–35 in the quarterfinals of the playoffs after the Eagles mounted a comeback by out-scoring the Monarchs 28–0 in the fourth quarter.[15] During the loss to Georgia Southern, sophomore quarterback Taylor Heinicke passed Steve McNair for the most passing yards in a single season by an FCS quarterback with 5,076 yards.[16] He also became the first quarterback to eclipse the 5,000 yard mark in a season as well as setting the record for most completions in a season with 398.[17]
Move to FBS
ODU began its transition to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) at the conclusion of the 2012 season. The Monarchs spent 2013 as an FCS independent team. Originally, the 2014 season was to be spent as an FBS independent before being fully accepted into the C-USA with both bowl and championship eligibility. After a vote by the C-USA, it was changed so that the program would be eligible in 2014 for the conference title and a bowl berth.[18]
The Monarchs won the final 3 games of the 2014 season to finished the season 6–6 and tied for 3rd in the east division of C-USA. 2014 was also Heinicke's final year at ODU.
In 2015 ODU football team competed fully bowl eligible. On September 19, 2015, North Carolina State played at Foreman Field. It was the first ACC and Power 5 school to play Old Dominion in Norfolk.[19]
2015 Old Dominion vs NC State football game
Prior to the 2016 season, Old Dominion announced that it would redevelop Foreman Field in two phases: Phase I would increase the capacity from 20,118 to 22,130 after rebuilding the east and west grandstands between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Phase II would increase the capacity from 22,130 to 30,004. A timeline for Phase II has not been announced.[20]
After a 10–3 season in 2016 (7-1 in C-USA play), Old Dominion made it to their first bowl berth, defeating Central Michigan in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
On September 22, 2018, Old Dominion shocked then No. 13 Virginia Tech by defeating them 49–35 at home in front of a record crowd of 20,532. This game marked the first Monarch victory over both a Power 5 and ranked opponent.[21] On November 17, 2018, the Monarchs played their last game at the 82 year-old Foreman Field. The field was demolished for renovation after the game and was subsequently renamed Komblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.[22][23] The stadium is also known as "The Castle" to fans.
On April 26, 2019, Oshane Ximines became the first Old Dominion player selected in the NFL Draft.[24] He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round with the 95th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
On September 22, 2018, ODU defeated Virginia Tech 49–35. Jeremy Cox (pictured, No. 35) rushed for 130 yards, including a 40-yard run that sealed the win late in the fourth quarter.
On December 2, 2019, Wilder resigned as the head coach of Old Dominion.[25]
Ricky Rahne era (2020–present)
Ricky Rahne, former Penn State offensive coordinator, was announced as the next head coach on December 10, 2019.[26] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the university announced that the 2020 football season for the Monarchs was canceled due to concerns about the safety of athletes and coaches.[27][28]
Rahne coached his first full season in 2021. The 2021 season got off to a rough start when offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude resigned just two weeks before the season started. After a 1-5 start ODU went on a 5 game winning streak to end the regular season 6-6; while becoming Bowl eligible for the second time in program history. ODU played in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, but lost to Tulsa.
The 2022 season had some big changes. As the Monarchs across all sports moved into the Sun Belt Conference in July of that year, leaving C-USA (along with Southern Miss and Marshall). ODU would start with a upset win over Virginia Tech by a final score 20-17. The Monarchs would go on to have a disappointing season, finishing 3-9.
ODU competes in the East Division of C-USA since joining the conference in 2014. The Monarchs shared its first division title with Western Kentucky in 2016 but did not represent the East Division in the C-USA Championship Game due to a head-to-head loss to Western Kentucky.[29]
The Monarchs appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs twice in the only two years that they were in FCS competition before moving up to FBS. Their combined record is 2–2.
In 2016 ODU bounced back from a 5–7 campaign the previous season to go 9–3 in the regular season and become bowl eligible for the first time. ODU clinched their 6th win on the year against C-USA power Marshall in Week 10 of the regular season. ODU went on to win the final 5 games of the regular season and accepted an invitation to play in the Bahamas Bowl to play Eastern Michigan and went on to beat EMU 24–20 for their first bowl win and finished the year 10–3. ODU recorded their 54th consecutive sellout against FIU in the home finale.
On October 26, 2022, the Old Dominion Monarchs and in-state rival James Madison Dukes announced the official beginning of the "Royal Rivalry".[30] As the Virginia-based schools within the Sun Belt Conference, they will compete for an all-sports trophy that contains a football component and draws its name from the royal inspiration of both schools' mascots.
The all-time football series between the two schools is tied 2–2, dating back to their days in the CAA. JMU won the most recent meeting 30–27 on October 28, 2023.
A declared rivalry with the William & Mary Tribe lasted two years before the Monarchs began their FBS transfer process in 2013. The annual CAA divisional battles were coined the ‘Battle for the Silver Mace' with the winner to be presented with a replica of the Norfolk Mace on display at the Chrysler Museum of Art.[31]
Despite ODU's transfer to the FBS, Norfolk State remained on the Monarchs' schedule as an FCS opponent for their 2015 and 2019 seasons. They are set to face the Monarchs again in 2026.
↑ The NCAA does not recognize the 1930–1940 seasons.[2]
Related Research Articles
Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, formerly Foreman Field, is a 21,944-seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. It opened in 1936 with a football game between the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary's Norfolk Division, which is now Old Dominion University. It is currently the home of Old Dominion Monarchs football.
The Old Dominion Monarchs are composed of 18 intercollegiate athletic teams representing Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, sailing, soccer, swimming, and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, golf, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, rowing, and volleyball. The Monarchs compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are members of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC); the university joined the conference on July 1, 2022.
The Old Dominion Monarchs men's basketball team represents Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, United States in NCAA Division I men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Norfolk State Spartans football team represents Norfolk State University in Division I FCS college football. The team plays their home games at William "Dick" Price Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia.
Robert S. Wilder is an American football coach who serves as the head coach for Tennessee Tech University. Before that, served as the head coach of the Old Dominion Monarchs football team. He was only the second coach all-time in the program's history and the first since football's rebirth at the school in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2009.
The 2011 Old Dominion Monarchs football team represented Old Dominion University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Monarchs were led by third-year head coach Bobby Wilder and played their home games at Foreman Field at S. B. Ballard Stadium. They were in their first year as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 10–3, 6–2 in CAA play, to finish in a three-way tie for second place. They received an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs, their first ever playoff berth, where they defeated Norfolk State in the first round before falling to Georgia Southern in the second round.
The 2012 Old Dominion Monarchs football team represented Old Dominion University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Bobby Wilder and played their home games at Foreman Field at S. B. Ballard Stadium. This was their final year as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In 2013, they began a two-year transition to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), where they became a member of Conference USA. They finished the season 11–2, 7–1 in CAA play to finish in first place. As a departing member from the CAA, they were ineligible for the CAA championship. They received an at–large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they defeated Coastal Carolina in the second round before falling in the quarterfinals to Georgia Southern.
The 2010–2013 Colonial Athletic Association realignment refers to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), renamed in 2023 to the Coastal Athletic Association, and Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference dealing with several proposed and actual conference expansion and reduction plans among various NCAA conferences and institutions from 2010 to 2013. Some moves affected only the all-sports CAA; others affected only CAA Football; and still others affected both sides of the CAA. Moves that involved the overall CAA were part of a much larger NCAA conference realignment.
The 2013 Old Dominion Monarchs football team represented Old Dominion University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Bobby Wilder and played their home games at Foreman Field at S. B. Ballard Stadium. This season was season one of a two-year transition to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), where the Monarchs became a member of Conference USA (C-USA) in 2014. As a result, the Monarchs competed as a FCS independent and were ineligible for the FCS playoffs.
Taylor Heinicke is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Old Dominion Monarchs and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Heinicke has also been a member of the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, and Washington Football Team / Commanders of the NFL, and the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.
The Old Dominion Monarchs field hockey team represents Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The team currently competes as a Big East Conference affiliate of NCAA Division I field hockey.
Old Dominion Monarchs baseball represents Old Dominion University in college baseball at the NCAA Division I level.
The 2015 Old Dominion Monarchs football team represented Old Dominion University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by seventh-year head coach Bobby Wilder and played their home games at Foreman Field at S. B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia. They were members of the East Division of Conference USA. 2015 was the first year Old Dominion was a full member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and eligible for postseason play. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in C-USA play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in the East Division.
The 2017 Old Dominion Monarchs football team represented Old Dominion University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Monarchs played their home games at the Foreman Field in Norfolk, Virginia as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by ninth-year head coach Bobby Wilder. The Monarchs finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in C-USA play to finish in sixth place.
The 2017–18 Old Dominion Monarchs men’s basketball team represented Old Dominion University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Monarchs, led by fifth-year head coach Jeff Jones, played their home games at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia as members of Conference USA. They finished the season 25–7, 15–3 in C-USA play to finish in second place. They defeated Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament before losing to Western Kentucky in the semifinals. Despite winning 25 games on the season, the Monarchs did not participate in a postseason tournament.
The Norfolk State–Old Dominion rivalry refers to games between the Norfolk State Spartans of MEAC and the Old Dominion Monarchs of the Sun Belt Conference. The two schools are the only NCAA Division I schools in Norfolk, Virginia.
The 2020 Old Dominion Monarchs football team would have represented Old Dominion University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season, being slated to compete in the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA) in 2020. However, on August 10, the university canceled its football season, as well as all other fall sports competitions, due to the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Monarchs would have been led by first-year head coach Ricky Rahne and would have played their home games at S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Old Dominion–William & Mary rivalry refers to the U.S. college rivalry games between the Old Dominion Monarchs of the Sun Belt Conference and the William & Mary Tribe of the Colonial Athletic Association. They are the two largest and most historically tenured NCAA Division I rivals in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
The Royal Rivalry refers to the U.S. college rivalry games between the James Madison Dukes and the Old Dominion Monarchs of the Sun Belt Conference. It is an intra-conference match-up between two Div. I FBS public universities, James Madison University and Old Dominion University, in the state of Virginia.
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