| School | Old Dominion | William & Mary |
|---|---|---|
| Established | 1930 | 1693 |
| Location | Norfolk | Williamsburg |
| Conference | Sun Belt | CAA |
| Students (2019) | 24,286 | 8,617 |
| School Colors | Slate Blue, Silver, & Light Blue | Green & Gold |
| Nickname | Monarchs | Tribe |
| Varsity Teams | 18 | 19 |
| Battle for the Silver Mace Wins | 2 | 1 |
TheOld Dominion–William & Mary rivalry (formerly known as theBattle for the Silver Mace in football) refers to the U.S.college rivalry games between theOld Dominion Monarchs of theSun Belt Conference and theWilliam & Mary Tribe of theCoastal Athletic Association. They are the two largest and most historically tenuredNCAA Division I rivals inHampton Roads, Virginia.
Old Dominion University was founded as the Norfolk branch of theCollege of William & Mary in 1930. The Norfolk Division of William & Mary sports program initiated from football and basketball competitions against local high school teams.[1] In 1941, their football program dissolved because of a $10,000 debt, poor attendance, and a ruling that did not allow freshman players on a branch campus.[2] The Norfolk Division joined theMason–Dixon Conference in September 1961, becoming its 16th member and competing with other William & Mary divisions as well as smallerNCAA Division II colleges in Virginia.
Old Dominion became independent of William & Mary in 1962 after GovernorAlbertis Harrison signed legislation dissolving William & Mary's College System.[3] Seven years later, they gained University status and competed as a Division II independent. William & Mary competed in theSouthern Conference. Since ODU's declaration, the two schools began competing, despite belonging to separate conferences.
The rivalry intensified from 1991–2013 when both schools were members of theColonial Athletic Association. Through this period, they competed against each other in 6 conference basketball tournaments and 6 baseball tournaments. They have competed in 26 joint men's soccer classics.[4] Since, Old Dominion has gained the edge over William & Mary in most of their male varsity sports.
| Sport | All-time series record | Last result | Next meeting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | ODU leads 89–56 | W&M won 10–8 on March 19, 2025 | TBD | [5] |
| Men's basketball | ODU leads 72–24 | ODU won 88–83 on December 2, 2024 | 11/30/25 at W&M | [6] |
| Women's basketball | ODU leads 63–7 | ODU won 63–39 on November 26, 2024 | TBD | [7] |
| Football | ODU leads 2–1 | ODU won 41–31 on November 10, 2012 | 9/1/29 at ODU | [8] |
| Men's soccer | ODU leads 26–24–9 | ODU won 2–0 on September 10, 2024 | TBD | [9] |
Old Dominion and William & Mary men's basketball have competed in six total CAA conference tournaments. Old Dominion won 8 conference championships from 1991–2011. Despite the Monarchs' dominance during their CAA tenure, the William and Mary Tribe regathered a series of wins after ODU moved toConference USA in 2013.
| Old Dominion victories | William & Mary victories |
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| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First meeting | September 18, 2010 |
| Latest meeting | November 10, 2012 |
| Next meeting | September 1, 2029 |
| Trophy | Norfolk Mace |
After ODU re-established its football program in 2009, Old Dominion and William & Mary competed as separate schools for the first time on September 18, 2010. The annual CAA divisional battles were coined the ‘Battle for the Silver Mace' with the winner to be presented with a replica of the Norfolk Mace on display at theChrysler Museum of Art.[10] Old Dominion competed for three matches with the Tribe before leaving the CAA to joinConference USA (FBS) in 2014 as anFCS independent.[11] ODU's move to the FBS inevitability cancelled their future matchups with the Tribe.
Old Dominion announced that the two teams will meet on September 1, 2029.[12]
Old Dominion currently plays atS.B. Ballard Stadium; William & Mary atZable Stadium.
| Old Dominion victories | William & Mary victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Losing team | Series | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 18, 2010 | Foreman Field | #12(FCS) William & Mary | 21 | Old Dominion | 17 | William & Mary 1–0 |
| 2 | November 12, 2011 | Zable Stadium | #11(FCS) Old Dominion | 35 | William & Mary | 31 | Tied 1–1 |
| 3 | November 10, 2012 | Foreman Field | #4(FCS) Old Dominion | 41 | William & Mary | 31 | Old Dominion 2–1 |
| 4 | September 1, 2029 | S.B. Ballard Stadium | |||||