William & Mary's traditional rival in football is the
University of Richmond. William & Mary and Richmond have met 134 times since 1898, making the rivalry (sometimes referred to as "the South's oldest rivalry") the fourth most-played in Division I college football. Only
Lafayette–Lehigh,
Princeton–
Yale, and
Harvard–Yale have played more games. The winner of this annual W&M–Richmond match-up claims the
Capital Cup (previously known as the I-64 Trophy), named for the last two Virginia state capitals, Richmond and Williamsburg. In the 21st century, William & Mary has also developed a rivalry with
Villanova University. William & Mary and Villanova's football teams have closely mirrored each other as they have shifted conferences, moving from the
Atlantic 10 to the newly formed
Colonial Athletic Association in 2006, and both teams will move to the
Patriot League in 2026. Their most notable game was in the
2009 NCAA FCS Semifinal, losing by a score of 13-14. Villanova would go on to win the National Championship. Aside from William & Mary's lengthy Capital Cup rivalry with the
University of Richmond, the Tribe also hold historic rivalries with in-state opponents like
James Madison University and the
Virginia Military Institute, as well as out-of-state opponents like the
University of Delaware. William & Mary also maintains older, less intense rivalries with the
VMI Keydets from its days in the
Southern Conference, and the
Virginia Cavaliers as part of the unofficial
Jefferson Cup, named after
Thomas Jefferson, who attended the College of William & Mary before founding the
University of Virginia. The Tribe holds non-conference rivalries against the
Old Dominion Monarchs and the
James Madison Dukes of the
Sun Belt Conference, both competing in CAA Football before joining the
FBS in 2014 and 2022, respectively. The winner of the Old Dominion-William & Mary Game receives the
Silver Mace.
Series records • Records through December 23, 2025 ==Currently in the NFL==