By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion has added four football home games against FCS schools, including contests with Hampton Roads neighbors Norfolk State in 2026 and William & Mary in 2029.
In addition, ODU added games with Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2023 and North Carolina Central in 2025. A&M-Commerce replaces a home game originally scheduled with Buffalo on Sept. 23, 2023. Both programs mutually agreed to cancel the game, which will not be rescheduled.
ODU plays one of the most challenging and exciting non-conference schedules within the Group of 5 conferences, with nine games against Virginia Tech, five against East Carolina, four against Army, three against Liberty and single games with Virginia, Wake Forest, Indiana and South Carolina on the horizon over the next 11 seasons.
Bruce Stewart, deputy athletic director and chief operating officer who oversees football and football scheduling, said "the football landscape continues to evolve and we're trying to align our program in the most favorable light for bowl games and ultimately, the expanded College Football Playoff."
The CFP expands to 12 teams in 2024 and at least one Group of 5 school is guaranteed to make the field.
"In order to accomplish our objectives, we're going to continually evaluate our football schedules and create balance," Stewart added.
"The Sun Belt certainly has distinguished itself as one of the nation's top Group of 5 football conferences. There is great parity throughout the 14 members and excellent coaches with an abundance of talent on every roster," Stewart added.
The Sun Belt fared well against Power 5 opponents this past season. ODU upset Virginia Tech at home and lost on a last-second field goal at Virginia. Marshall upset Notre Dame, App State upended Texas A&M and Georgia Southern beat Nebraska, all on the road in the second week of the season.
Sun Belt schools were also 3-1 against Army, an independent whom the ACC classifies as a Power 5 school for scheduling purposes. Southern Miss also won at Tulane, which won the American Athletic Conference title and upset USC in the Cotton Bowl.
Head coach Ricky Rahne said he is pleased to see the four newcomers on the future schedules, especially Norfolk State, whose campus is four miles from ODU.
"We're always excited about the challenge of playing our schedule (against Power 5 schools) and the fact that we get to play some of these teams at home," he said. "But I also think it's great for our kids to play some different teams.
"And if you look at our schedule, there has been some repetition to the non-conference schedule. Adding some different schools just helps add a little spice."
Rahne said playing Norfolk State is important to the Hampton Roads community.
"When we get the opportunity to play Virginia Tech and Virginia, it helps the whole state," he said. "And just like that, when we play Norfolk State or William and Mary, I think it helps the region, all of the 757."
The four games:
* Texas A&M University-Commerce completes the 2023 schedule. ODU opens at Virginia Tech on Sept. 2 and hosts Wake Forest on Sept 16. A game at Liberty originally scheduled for Sept. 30 will be played on Nov. 11.
A&M-Commerce is a former Division II powerhouse that recently moved up to FCS. Formerly known as East Texas State University, it changed its name to Texas A&M University-Commerce in 1996.
Last season the Lions upset Southeastern Louisiana, then ranked 19th and 20th in the FCS polls, 31-28, and finished 5-6.
* North Carolina Central, the 2022 HBCU National Champions, comes to ODU on Sept 6, 2025. That game completes the 2025 schedule as the Monarchs open at Indiana on Aug. 30, go to Virginia Tech on Sept. 13 and host Liberty on Oct. 4.
N.C. Central was 10-2 last season, winning a share of the MEAC title and upending Deion Sanders-coached Jackson State, 41-34, in overtime at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The game matched champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Champion (MEAC) and the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC).
ODU is 2-0 against the Durham school.
* Norfolk State visits ODU on Sept. 5, 2026. The Spartans have played before sellout crowds in each of their previous three games at S.B. Ballard Stadium. ODU also has games scheduled at Virginia Tech on Sept. 12 and at home against UConn on Oct. 31. One non-conference game remains to be scheduled.
ODU is 4-0 against the Spartans, including a 24-21 victory in 2019 that was the first in the expanded S.B. Ballard Stadium that drew a then record crowd of 21,944.
* William & Mary, a former CAA rival, comes to ODU on Sept 1, 2029. ODU is 2-1 against the Tribe. The game completes the 2029 schedule with games at Army on Sept. 8, at East Carolina Sept. 15 and a home against Virginia Tech on Sept. 22.
Coached by former Virginia and Richmond coach Mike London, William & Mary finished 11-2 in 2022 and shared the CAA title with New Hampshire. The Tribe won their only game against an FBS opponent, beating Charlotte, 41-24.
ODU's full conference schedule will be announced in late February.
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To purchase new season tickets, call the ticket office at 757-683-4444.
ODU's Football Schedules:
2023
Sept. 2, at Virginia Tech
Sept. 16, Wake Forest
Sept. 23, Texas A&M-Commerce
Nov. 11, at Liberty
2024
Aug. 31, at South Carolina
Sept. 7, East Carolina
Sept. 12, Virginia Tech
Sept. 28, at Bowling Green
2025
Aug 30, at Indiana
Sept. 6, North Carolina Central
Sept. 13, at Virginia Tech
Oct. 4, Liberty
2026
Sept. 5, Norfolk State
Sept. 12, at Virginia Tech
Oct. 31, UConn
2027
Sept. 11, Virginia Tech
Sept. 18, East Carolina
Sept. 25, at UConn
2028
Sept. 2, Virginia
Sept. 9, at Virginia Tech
Sept. 30, at Liberty
2029
Sept. 1, William and Mary
Sept. 8, at Army
Sept. 15, at East Carolina
Sept. 22, Virginia Tech
2030
Aug. 31, Army
Sept. 14, East Carolina
Sept. 21, at Virginia Tech
2031
Sept. 6, at East Carolina
Sept. 13, Bowling Green
Sept. 20, Virginia Tech
2032
Sept. 11, at Army
2033
Sept. 3, Army
ODU Football Adds Four FCS Opponents to Future Schedules, Including Norfolk State and W&M
