Old Dominion Monarchs football

1930–1941

Team photo of 1930–31 Norfolk Braves

^[3]

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.^[3] 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.^[4] The college played football for eleven 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,^[5] 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–present)

Coach Bobby Wilder

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.^[3] On June 14, 2005, the Board of Visitors unanimously approved with a 14–0 vote to create a new football team to compete at the NCAA Division I level, along with university's other sports teams, and 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 for the 2011 season. In 2009, their first competitive season in 68 years, the Monarchs finished 9–2. That was the best winning record ever for a first-year program in college football's modern era.^[6] 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.^[6]

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, 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.^[7]

ODU was fifth in FCS attendance in 2009, selling out all of their home games in the 19,782-seat Foreman Field.^[8] Season tickets for the Monarchs' inaugural season sold out quickly and the school had to refund 1,065 orders.^[9] 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.

Move to FBS

ODU began its transition to the 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 are in the East Division of the C-USA and won the final 3 games of the year to even their record and finished the season 6–6 and finished tied for 3rd in the east division. 2014 was Taylor Heinicke's final year of his career 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.

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.^[10]

On September 22, 2018, ODU defeated Virginia Tech 49–35. Jeremy Cox (pictured, #35) rushed for 130 yards, including a 40-yard run that sealed the win late in the fourth quarter.^[11]

On September 22, 2018, Old Dominion shocked #13 Virginia Tech by defeating them 49–35 at home in front of a record crowd of 20,532^[12]. This game marked the first Monarch victory over both a Power 5 and ranked opponent.

2015 Old Dominion vs NC State football game

Divisional championships

Joining Conference USA in 2014, brought Old Dominion to its first conference with divisions. Split up by eastern and western teams, the Monarchs have to compete against the eastern teams for a spot in the conference championship game. Old Dominion won its first title in 2016, sharing the title with Western Kentucky.^[13]

† Co-champions. Western Kentucky played in the conference championship game.

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 in Week 10 of the regular season. ODU went on to win the final 5 games of the regular season and accepted and 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.

All-Americans