Minium: Breaking Down ODU’s 2020 Football Schedule, the Toughest and Most Attractive the Monarchs Have Yet to Play

By Harry Minium
When Old Dominion hosted tiny Chowan University in 2009 after a 70-year absence from the football field, few had any idea just how far and fast the Monarchs would come.

ODU quickly became a Football Championship Subdivision power and in 2013, began its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Entering their 12th season under new head coach Ricky Rahne, the Monarchs face by far their best home schedule in 2020 laced with a couple of opponents that in 2009 no one ever dreamed would come to Norfolk.

ODU will host Wake Forest in its opener on Sept. 5 Seven weeks later, the Monarchs welcome the University of Virginia to Norfolk for the first time since 1976, when the Cavs played VMI in the Oyster Bowl at old
Foreman Field.

While contracts with Wake and U.Va. were signed years ago, it's noteworthy that ODU is only one of two Group of 5 schools slated to host two Power 5 schools in 2020. That speaks well for ODU's program.

Beating either Wake or U.Va. will be a tall task for ODU, which is coming off a 1-11 season and has a new coaching staff. But stranger things have happened, and both games likely will give the Monarchs a dose of national exposure.

I would expect both to be on national TV in some way or another. Last season, the first for the renovated Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, no ODU home games were televised nationally.

But Conference USA's TV partners (CBS Sports Network, the NFL Network, Stadium and ESPN) usually jump at the chance to televise a league home game against a Power 5 school.

For those who still question why ODU moved up to FBS, this year's schedule answers that question. Had ODU not moved up, ACC teams would not be coming to Norfolk. Power 5 schools don't go on the road to play FCS schools.

ODU played three previous home games against ACC schools, losing to North Carolina and North Carolina State, but winning against Virginia Tech.

Who can forget Sept. 22, 2018, when ODU knocked off the 13th-ranked Hokies, 49-35? That game, televised nationally by the CBS Sports Network, remains by far the greatest moment in ODU's 12 seasons of football, and I contend the most memorable in Monarch athletic history.

Yes, ODU enjoyed FCS rivalries against James Madison, Richmond and William and Mary, but wouldn't you rather see the Monarchs play ACC schools at home?

ODU won't play home games against Power 5 schools every year, but there are enough games with Virginia Tech scheduled through the end of this decade that the University's long-term schedule remains the envy of Group of 5.

ODU's goal is to continue to play Power 5 opponents at home at least every other season. Tech plays again at ODU in 2022, and every other year thereafter until long after I retire.

Athletic director Wood Selig told The Virginian-Pilot that he's also working on bringing East Carolina back to Norfolk. While ECU isn't a Power 5 school, it's the next best thing.

ECU is just two hours from Norfolk and has a passionate fan base. I've always thought that if the two universities began playing long-term, they would become intense rivals.

The 2020 schedule isn't perfect. The Monarchs begin the season with four consecutive home games – Wake Forest, Hampton, FIU and Middle Tennessee – and it's not ideal to spend an entire month at home.

It's also a ruggedly difficult schedule. Eight games come against schools that went to bowl games, and MTSU was a bowl-caliber team that could not quite catch up after an 0-3 start against Power 5 schools.

Yet it's not as difficult as we thought it would be a few months ago. ODU was originally scheduled to play at North Carolina and the Tar Heels are ranked in every 2020 preseason poll that I've seen. Playing a third Power 5 game would have been a bridge too far for a team that's rebuilding.

Senior associate athletic director Bruce Stewart, who handles scheduling for ODU, worked his magic in the offseason, as he has so often done over the years, to give the Monarchs a more reasonable schedule.

UConn is leaving the American Athletic Conference to become an independent in 2020 and thus needed games, so Stewart helped hatch an agreement in which the Huskies play at UNC in return for ODU playing in East Hartford on Oct. 3.

UConn picked up two games while ODU lost no revenue and replaced UNC with a winnable game.

And that's called a win-win. I have often referred to Stewart as a miracle worker when it comes to scheduling, and he is.

The schedule is front loaded with games the Monarchs could win. ODU will be favored against Hampton (Sept. 12). FIU (Sept. 19) loses a ton of talent and UConn (Oct. 3) won just two games. The Monarchs travel to UTSA on Oct. 17, and that should be a tossup game.

However, the second half of the schedule is more difficult – U.Va. (Oct. 24), at Western Kentucky (Oct. 31), UAB (Nov. 7), at Charlotte (Nov. 14), at Florida Atlantic (Nov. 21) and home against Marshall (Nov. 28) over Thanksgiving weekend.

ODU's last six opponents went to bowls last season and the Monarchs likely will be underdogs in all six. Four of the six games are on the road.

Playing Marshall in the 71st annual Oyster Bowl should be popular with fans. ODU played Charlotte last season that final weekend, and with all due respect to the 49ers, Marshall is a more well-known football brand and likely will draw better.

I'm not predicting a winning season. Far from it. Four or five victories would be a huge step forward. But I promise you it will be interesting.

Rahne is the former offensive coordinator at Penn State, and as you might expect, you will see big changes to ODU's offense.

He says he will bring back the spread offense, with the quarterback in the shotgun and wide receivers spread out wide, that previous coach Bobby Wilder ditched last season. ODU tried its best to milk the clock last season with a more traditional offense and finished 128th out of 130 FBS schools in total offense.

This offense will be more aggressive.

The season also promises to be lighter on the wallets of ODU fans. The University surveyed its fans twice last season and athletic director Wood Selig listened and made some significant changes. Prices have been reduced for every season ticket holder.

The Monarchs will play seven home games, yet season ticket holders will pay the same price they did last season for six games.

Ticket prices were reduced for 2,500 sideline seats – they will cost $150 for seven games, down from $200 for six games last season. ODU has also opened nearly 700 more sideline seats for Monarch fans by moving visitors' seats to the end zone.

ODU has been busy working out the kinks at S.B. Ballard Stadium. Expect changes in the concessions fare and steps to be taken to reduce lines at restrooms. And most ODU home games will be played when the weather is good.

The final factor here is Rahne: he's been a breath of fresh air in his first month or so as head coach. He's getting out into the community, including ODU men's and women's basketball games, and has impressed with his resolve to promote and build a winning program.

He's enthusiastic without being brash, and his humbleness comes across to all who meet him.

His coaching staff isn't yet complete, but it will be a young staff with a lot of fresh ideas. He's 39 and so far, with three coaches yet to be named, he's the oldest on the staff.

Judging from what I've seen on online ODU message boards, a lot of fans share this sentiment with me: they can't wait to see how Rahne transforms ODU's program while playing the best schedule the Monarchs have ever faced.

Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu

ODU 2020 football schedule:
Saturday, Sept. 5, Wake Forest
Saturday, Sept. 12, Hampton
Saturday, Sept. 19, FIU
Saturday, Sept. 26, Middle Tennessee
Saturday, Oct. 3, at Connecticut
Saturday, Oct. 10. Bye
Saturday, Oct. 17, at UTSA
Saturday, Oct. 24, Virginia
Saturday, Oct. 31, at Western Kentucky
Saturday, Nov. 7, UAB
Saturday, Nov. 14, at Charlotte
Saturday, Nov. 21, at Florida Atlantic
Saturday, Nov. 28, Marshall (71st Oyster Bowl)