The Old Dominion Monarchs football program represents
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia with ...
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
The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...
and added conference games to their schedule, playing there until joining the
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
of the
FBS in 2014. They joined the
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...
in 2022.
History
Early history: Tommy Scott era (1930–1940)
left, Old Dominion 1936 football team
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.
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.
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, 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.
Bobby Wilder era (2007–2019)
![2017-0720-CUSA-BobbyWilder](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/2017-0720-CUSA-BobbyWilder.jpg)
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 interview
An exit interview is a survey conducted with an individual who is separating from an organization or relationship. Most commonly, this occurs between an employee and an organization, a student and an educational institution, or a member and an a ...
s before graduation their wish for an ODU football team, and rarely revisited the campus.
On June 14, 2005, the
Board of Visitors
In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual ...
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
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
level. The new football team were to begin play in 2009. On February 9, 2007, Athletic Director Jim Jarrett announced that
Bobby Wilder
Robert S. Wilder (born August 1, 1964) is an American football coach who most recently 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 footba ...
, then the associate head football coach at the
University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
, 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
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
. 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
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...
level (formerly I-AA), and joined the
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...
(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.
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.
ODU was fifth in FCS attendance in 2009, selling out all of their home games in the 19,782-seat
Foreman Field
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 Willi ...
. Season tickets for the Monarchs' inaugural season sold out quickly and the school had to refund 1,065 orders.
Foreman Field, formerly the ODU
field hockey
Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...
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
Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership.
History
The institution was founded on September 18, 1935 ...
. 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
The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language sports specialty channel established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. Since 2001, it has been majority-owned by comm ...
poll. The Monarchs were ranked among the Top Ten after competing in 33 games.
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
The Norfolk State Spartans refer to the 14 intercollegiate sports teams representing Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis and track and field; w ...
, 35–18 to advance to the second round of the 2011 FCS playoffs. ODU then traveled to Georgia to play the
Georgia Southern Eagles
The Georgia Southern Eagles are the athletic team(s) of Georgia Southern University (GS). The Eagles compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A) and are members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. Prior to jo ...
in the second round of the playoffs, where they lost 55–48. Following the season, the Monarchs finished 10th in the final poll.
In April 2012, several reports linked ODU to possible realignment in FBS conferences
Big East
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
and
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
(C-USA) with possible conference play that begin as soon as 2013. The Big East reports were silenced with the addition of schools
University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
,
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...
,
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
, and
University of Memphis
}
The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...
. However, the C-USA was still interested in ODU after adding five new schools including
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...
,
Florida International,
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
,
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...
, and
Texas-San Antonio.
In May 2012, it was officially announced that ODU would join C-USA for all sports effective July 1, 2013.
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. During the loss to
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hin ...
, sophomore quarterback
Taylor Heinicke
Taylor Heinicke ( ; born March 15, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Old Dominion and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted f ...
passed
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),[Steve McNair Found Dead](_blank)
...
for the most passing yards in a single season by an FCS quarterback with 5,076 yards. 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.
Move to FBS
ODU began its transition to the
NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(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.
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
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
and Power 5 school to play Old Dominion in Norfolk.
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.
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.
[ 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
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 Willi ...
.
On April 26, 2019, Oshane Ximines became the first Old Dominion player selected in the NFL Draft. He was drafted by the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in the third round with the 95th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft
The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
.
On December 2, 2019, Wilder resigned as the head coach of Old Dominion.
Ricky Rahne era (2020–present)
Ricky Rahne
Ricky Rahne (born July 19, 1980) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach at Old Dominion University. He played college football at Cornell.
Early life
A native of Morrison, Colorado, Rahne attended Bear ...
, former Penn State offensive coordinator, was announced as the next head coach on December 10, 2019. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the university announced that the 2020 football season for the Monarchs was canceled due to concerns about the safety of athletes and coaches.
Rahne coached his first full season in 2021. 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
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...
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.
Conference affiliations
* Independent (1930–1940)
* NCAA Division I FCS independent (2009–2010, 2013)
* Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...
(2011–2012)
* Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
(2014–2022)
* Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...
(2022 and beyond)
Postseason
Division championships
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.
† Co-champions
Playoffs
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.
Bowl games
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
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
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
The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium. First held in 2014, the Bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference ...
to play Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...
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.
Rivalries
James Madison
On October 26, the Old Dominion Monarchs and in-state rival James Madison Dukes
The James Madison Dukes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU), in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. The Dukes play as m ...
announced the official beginning of the "Royal Rivalry". 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.
Old Dominion leads the all-time football series between the two schools 2–1, dating back to their days in the CAA. JMU won the most meeting 37–3 on November 12, 2022.
William & Mary
A declared rivalry with the William & Mary Tribe
The William & Mary Tribe is a moniker for the College of William & Mary's athletic teams and the university's community more broadly.
William & Mary has won two team national championships (both in men's tennis), the AIAW championships in w ...
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
The Chrysler Museum of Art is an art museum on the border between downtown and the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. The museum was founded in 1933 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. In 1971, automotive heir, Walter P. Chrysler Jr. ...
.
Norfolk State
Individual awards
All-Americans
National Awards
* Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports ...
FCS Most Outstanding Offensive Player
:QB Taylor Heinicke
Taylor Heinicke ( ; born March 15, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Old Dominion and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted f ...
– 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
* FCS Player of the Year
:QB Taylor Heinicke – 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
* Dudley Award
Virginia's Best College Player
:QB Taylor Heinicke – 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Conference Awards
* Offensive Player of the Year
:QB Taylor Heinicke – 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright transfer agreement, Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to ...
* Defensive Player of the Year
:DT Ronnie Cameron
Ronnie Cameron (born August 15, 1989) is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He played college football for Hofstra University and Old Dominion University.
College c ...
– 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright transfer agreement, Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to ...
* Freshman of the Year
:RB Ray Lawry – 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
C-USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are ...
*Source: Old Dominion Athletics, The Sports Network
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of August 24, 2022.
Monarchs in the NFL Draft
Since the sport was restarted in the school in 2009, two players have been drafted to the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
.DraftHistory.com
/ref>
References
External links
*
{{Sun Belt Conference football navbox
*
American football teams established in 1930
American football teams disestablished in 1941
American football teams established in 2009
1930 establishments in Virginia
1941 disestablishments in Virginia
2009 establishments in Virginia