Richmond Spiders football

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Richmond Spiders football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2025 Richmond Spiders football team
Richmond Spiders text logo.svg
First season 1881; 144 years ago
Athletic director John Hardt
Head coach Russ Huesman
7th season, 56–39 (.589)
Stadium Robins Stadium
(capacity: 8,217)
Field surface FieldTurf
Location Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Patriot League
All-time record597–676–53 (.470)
Bowl record1–1 (.500)
Claimed national titles1 (2008)
Conference titles14 [a]
Rivalries William & Mary (rivalry)
James Madison (rivalry)
VMI (rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans1 (1969)
ColorsBlue and red [1]
   
Uniform outfitter Adidas
Website RichmondSpiders.com

The Richmond Spiders are a college football team representing the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision champion for the 2008 season. Richmond competes as an associate member of the Patriot League that competes in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman was named head coach of the Spiders, on December 14, 2016, replacing Danny Rocco who had departed to become head coach at the University of Delaware a day earlier. [2]

Contents

In 2008, No. 7 Richmond beat Eastern Kentucky, Appalachian State, and Northern Iowa to advance to the NCAA Division I Football Championship against Montana. In the FCS National Championship Game on December 19, 2008, they defeated Montana 24–7 to win the first team NCAA national title for the University of Richmond in any sport.

Rivals

Richmond's traditional rival in many sports is the College of William & Mary. Richmond and William & Mary have met 135 times since 1898, making the rivalry (sometimes referred to as "the South's oldest rivalry") the fourth most-played in Division I college football. Only Lafayette–Lehigh, Princeton–Yale, and Harvard–Yale have played more games. The winner of the annual W&M–Richmond match-up claims the Capital Cup (formerly the I-64 Trophy), which reflects the historical significance of the cities of Williamsburg and Richmond as the last two capitals of the Commonwealth of Virginia. [3]

Conference affiliations

All-Americans

Richmond Spiders in the NFL Draft

Undrafted players and non-NFL draftees

Aerial view of E. Claiborne Robins Stadium, the Spiders home Aerial view of Richmond Spiders football stadium - E. Claiborne Robins Stadium.jpg
Aerial view of E. Claiborne Robins Stadium, the Spiders home

Brian Brown| WR (Dallas cowboys)

Championships

Conference championships

Richmond has won seventeen conference championships, four outright and thirteen shared. According to their record books, they do not claim the Virginia Conference championships. [5]

SeasonConferenceOverall RecordConference Record
1932 Virginia Conference 4–2–23–0–2
1933†5–42–1
1934†8–12–1
1968 Southern Conference 8–36–0
1969†6–45–1
1971 5–65–1
1975 5–65–1
1987† Yankee Conference 7–56–1
1998 Atlantic 10 Conference 9–37–1
2000†10–37–1
2005†9–47–1
2007† Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference 11–37–1
2009†11–27–1
2012†8–36–2
2015†10–46–2
2023†9–47–1
2024†10–38–0

† denotes co-champions

National championships

Richmond has won one national championship.

YearCoachSelectorsRecordBowl
2008 Mike London Division I FCS Playoffs 13–3Won NCAA Division I Football Championship Game (24–7 over Montana)

Playoffs

The Spiders have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs 14 times. Their combined record is 17–13. They were FCS National Champions in 2008.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1984 First Round
Quarterfinals		Boston University
Rhode Island		W 35–33
L 17–23
1987 First RoundAppalachian StateL 3–20
1998 First RoundLehighL 23–24
2000 First Round
Quarterfinals		Youngstown State
Montana		W 10–3
L 20–34
2005 First Round
Quarterfinals		Hampton
Furman		W 38–10
L 20–24
2007 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Eastern Kentucky
Wofford
Appalachian State		W 31–14
W 21–10
L 35–55
2008 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship Game		Eastern Kentucky
Appalachian State
Northern Iowa
Montana		W 38–10
W 33–13
W 21–20
W 24–7
2009 First Round
Quarterfinals		Elon
Appalachian State		W 16–13
L 31–35
2014 First Round
Second Round		Morgan State
Coastal Carolina		W 46–24
L 15–36
2015 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		William & Mary
Illinois State
North Dakota State		W 48–13
W 39–27
L 7–33
2016 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		North Carolina A&T
North Dakota
Eastern Washington		W 39–10
W 27–24
L 0–38
2022 First Round
Second Round		 Davidson
Sacramento State 		W 41–0
L 31–38
2023 First Round
Second Round		 North Carolina Central
Albany 		W 49–27
L 13–41
2024 First Round Lehigh L 16–20

Bowl games

During their time as an NCAA University Division (Major College) team, Richmond appeared in two bowl games, both times in the Tangerine Bowl against the champion of the Mid-American Conference. They have a record of 1–1.

YearCoachBowlOpponentResult
1968 Frank Jones Tangerine Bowl Ohio W 49–42
1971 Frank Jones Tangerine Bowl Toledo L 3–28

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of October 13, 2025 [6]

2025202620272028202920302031
at Wofford at NC State Morgan State at VMI VMI at Virginia
at North Carolina Norfolk State at Louisville at Virginia at Pittsburgh
VMI Furman at Norfolk State
Howard at Furman
at William & Mary

Notes

  1. ↑ While the Virginia Conference lists Richmond as having won three conference championships, the program's record book only recognizes the conference championships won in the SoCon, Yankee, A-10 and CAA.

References

  1. ↑ "Palettes – University of Richmond" . Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Huesman Named Head Coach Of Spiders Football". RichmondsSpiders.com. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ Richmond, William & Mary Rename Football Rivalry As Capital Cup Archived June 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ O'Connor, John (May 14, 2024). "Richmond Spiders shifting from CAA Football to Patriot League". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ https://richmondspiders.com/documents/2025/10/6/Football-Records-2025-Oct.6.pdf
  6. ↑ "Future Richmond Spiders Football Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
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