The Royal Rivalry refers to the

college rivalry Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a university or college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry, whic ...

games between the

James Madison Dukes The James Madison Dukes are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU), in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's se ...

and the

Old Dominion Monarchs The Old Dominion Monarchs are composed of 18 college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, s ...

of the

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...

. It is an intra-conference match-up between two Div. I FBS public universities,

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

and

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...

, in the Commonwealth of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

History

Both schools began sports competitions in the early 1970s as former Division II in-state opponents. The competitions intensified when both schools competed as full members of the

Colonial Athletic Association The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), formerly the ECAC South Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA' ...

following ODU's move to the conference in 1991. This undeclared in-state rivalry would last just over 20 years before ODU relocated to

Conference USA Conference USA (CUSA) is a collegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas. Mem ...

in 2014 to become a member of the FBS. JMU remained in the CAA as a FCS member and still competed with ODU in sports outside of football. In 2022, both schools joined the

. Following the conference relocation for both schools, ODU and JMU announced the

TowneBank TowneBank is a bank headquartered in Suffolk, Virginia with 44 branches in Virginia and North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered ...

-sponsored ''Royal Rivalry Challenge''. Starting in 2022, it would include all 20 head-to-head matchups in sports between the schools with points awarded to each school for corresponding victories in the games. Each school is awarded one point per game won and half of a point per game tied. The yearly winner is to be awarded the Royal Rivalry Trophy, resembling a crown-shaped plaque.

Series results

All-time results

Royal Rivalry results

Football

The Old Dominion and

James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...

football programs began competing in 2011 when ODU joined the CAA as an FCS independent after restarting football in 2009. Following ODU's departure from the CAA in 2012, the two schools took nearly a ten-year hiatus from football matchups before they both joined the Sun Belt in 2022. The football rivalry was restarted in the 2022 Div. I FBS football season where both schools competed in the 2022 Oyster Bowl, with the

Dukes Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

beating the

Monarchs A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority an ...

for the first time 37–3. James Madison currently plays their football games at

Bridgeforth Stadium Bridgeforth Stadium is a American football, football stadium located on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The stadium is home to the James Madison Dukes football team. The playing surface is named Zane Showker Fie ...

; Old Dominion at S.B. Ballard Stadium. *Source: JMU Sports

Basketball

Men's basketball

During their tenures in the CAA, ODU defeated JMU in 4 conference tournament championships. JMU holds their basketball games at Atlantic Union Bank Center; ODU at Chartway Arena.

Women's basketball

JMU holds their basketball games at Atlantic Union Bank Center; ODU at Chartway Arena.

Soccer

Men's soccer

James Madison leads the all-time series in soccer 20–14–8.

References

External links

James Madison Dukes

Old Dominion Monarchs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Rivalry College baseball rivalries in the United States College basketball rivalries in the United States College football rivalries in the United States College soccer rivalries in the United States College sports rivalries in the United States College sports in Virginia James Madison Dukes Old Dominion Monarchs Sports rivalries in Virginia