NORFOLK, Va. – The traditional ODU spring football game has a new look, and a new name - and it happens to be with a familiar partner – The Priority Toyota Charity Bowl. Starting with the 2022 spring game, which will take place on Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m., it will now be known as the Priority Charity Bowl ODU Spring Game. The game will be played at Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium and is open to the public.
"We've decided to move on from the flag football game that we've played the last few years and combine the Priority Toyota Charity Bowl with the ODU Spring Game, which lets us carry on the tradition of the Charity Bowl game," said Dennis Ellmer, President & CEO of Priority AutoGroup. "We couldn't do this without our great partners and sponsors, especially ODU for hosting the Charity Bowl and incorporating it into their spring football game. We want to continue to build interest in this great community event that is available for all to come enjoy."
Ellmer explained, "the Charity Bowl benefits 45 local charities and every year that number seems to increase. All the money that is raised stays right here in Hampton Roads to support our youth. That's so important to our mission and what the Charity Bowl represents."
The Charity Bowl, in its 53rd year, is America's longest running charity football game. The event raises money for Hampton Roads children's charities. Last year's Charity Bowl raised over $776,000 for the charities, a record for the event.
"We feel branding our annual ODU football spring game as the Charity Bowl ODU Spring Game is an excellent opportunity to call greater attention to our spring football game at S. B. Ballard Stadium, which in turn should result in wider interest and better fan support than one might typically expect from a traditional spring game concept held across the country," ODU Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig said. "We are indebted to Dennis Ellmer and his Charity Bowl team not only for their amazing generosity each year throughout our Hampton Roads region via the incredible fundraising which results from the Charity Bowl for so many worthy local groups, but in partnering with ODU, which also allows us to participate in a meaningful and lasting way to embrace and also give back to our local community whose support we benefit from each and every day."
The spring game is the 15th and final spring practice for the Monarchs.
ODU is coming off a season that concluded with a bowl game for the first time since 2016. The Monarchs won five-straight to finish the season and became the third team to win six games after starting a season 1-6 or worse.
The Monarchs return 19 starters, including 10 on offense including first-team all-conference tight end Zack Kuntz, 1,000-yard rusher Blake Watson and four offensive linemen.
ODU returns seven starters on the defensive side, including leading returning tackler R'Tarriun Johnson, who had 91 stops a season ago.
ODU recently announced its 2022 football schedule, and it is already proving to be the most-anticipated schedule in the program's history, including home games with Virginia Tech, Arkansas State, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Marshall and JMU. Click here for a complete 2022 schedule.
ODU Football season tickets for the 2022 season are now on sale and available for renewal online at www.ynottix.com. In just three days, following the announcement of the 2022 schedule, ODU sold over 1,000 season tickets. With the demand for season tickets and the return of home games against Virginia Tech and JMU, ODU does not expect to have single-game tickets available for several of these highly anticipated home matchups. Season tickets are available starting at just $150 for east or west sideline seats. Call ODU Director of Ticket Sales, Justin Ross, at 757-683-3360 for information or assistance in purchasing tickets.
Spring Game Set for April 9 and Combined with Priority Charity Bowl
