Oyster Bowl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
College football bowl game
StadiumS.B. Ballard Stadium (1946–1995, 2011–present)
LocationNorfolk, Virginia
Previous stadiumsJoseph S. Darling Memorial Stadium (1999–2004)
The Apprentice School (2005–2010)
The Apprentice School (2005–2010)
Previous locationsHampton, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
| Oyster Bowl | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | S.B. Ballard Stadium (1946–1995, 2011–present) |
| Location | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Previous stadiums | Joseph S. Darling Memorial Stadium (1999–2004) The Apprentice School (2005–2010) |
| Previous locations | Hampton, Virginia Newport News, Virginia |
| Operated | 1946, 1948–1995 1999–present |
| Conference tie-ins | Sun Belt Conference |
| Previous conference tie-ins | Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference Colonial Athletic Association Conference USA |
| Sponsors | |
Khedive Temple of the Shriners | |
| 2025 matchup | |
| Georgia State vs. Old Dominion (Old Dominion wins 27–10) | |
The Oyster Bowl is an annual regular season college football game played in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. The game has featured match-ups between high schools, NCAA Division III teams, and NCAA Division I teams. The current rendition of the game serves as an in-conference matchup for the Old Dominion Monarchs. It is sponsored by the Chesapeake, Virginia-based Khedive Temple of the Shriners, which includes a portion of the revenue going to children's charity.
As a major college neutral-site contest in Norfolk, Virginia from 1948 to 1995, the Oyster Bowl served as the region's counterpart to the Tobacco Bowl in Richmond, Virginia (1949–1982), and the short-lived Harvest Bowl in Roanoke, Virginia (1958–1969), which were also regular season neutral-site games.
During the first incarnation of the Oyster Bowl, the game was held at Foreman Field in Norfolk, Virginia. The inaugural contest, held in 1946, featured two high school teams, the local Granby Comets and the Clifton Mustangs of Clifton, New Jersey.[1][2] After a one-year break, the game was resumed in 1948 as a major college football contest, and was played continuously until 1995, when it was discontinued for financial reasons.[1][2][3] The series of games from 1946 to 1995 generated more than $3 million for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.[3]
Many well known players participated in the Oyster Bowl during the time it featured Division I teams. These include Ernie Davis of Syracuse, Bruce Smith of Virginia Tech, Roger Staubach of Navy, Fran Tarkenton of Georgia, and Randy White of Maryland.[4] The 1977 game between East Carolina and William & Mary featured an incident well-publicized at the time, in which former East Carolina head coach Jim Johnson, attending the game as a sideline spectator, tackled a William & Mary player about to score the game-winning touchdown.[5]
In 1999, after a hiatus of three years, the Oyster Bowl was revived and relocated to Joseph S. Darling Memorial Stadium in nearby Hampton, Virginia, as a match-up between Division III college teams.[6] Three of the six games in Hampton featured the Apprentice School from nearby Newport News, Virginia. In 2005 the Oyster Bowl moved to Newport News as an annual home game for the Apprentice School.
In 2011, the Oyster Bowl returned to a renovated Foreman Field (now known as S.B. Ballard Stadium) as an annual home game for Division I Old Dominion University (ODU). Recent visiting teams have been conference rivals of ODU from Conference USA (through 2021) and the Sun Belt Conference (2022 to the present).
Game results
| Year | Site | Winning team | Losing team | Reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Norfolk, Virginia | Granby High School | 6 | Clifton High School | 0 | |
| 1947 | No game held | |||||
| 1948 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 31 | VMI | 0 | [7] |
| 1949[8] | Norfolk, Virginia | NC State | 14 | VPI | 13 | [9] |
| 1950 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 34 | NC State | 0 | [10] |
| 1951 | Norfolk, Virginia | Duke | 55 | VPI | 6 | [11] |
| 1952 | Norfolk, Virginia | South Carolina | 21 | Virginia | 14 | [12] |
| 1953 | Norfolk, Virginia | Duke | 48 | Virginia | 6 | [13] |
| 1954 | Norfolk, Virginia | Navy | 40 | Duke | 7 | [14] |
| 1955 | Norfolk, Virginia | North Carolina | 32 | South Carolina | 14 | [15] |
| 1956 | Norfolk, Virginia | Pittsburgh | 27 | Duke | 14 | [16] |
| 1957 | Norfolk, Virginia | Navy | 27 | Georgia | 14 | [17] |
| 1958 | Norfolk, Virginia | Tulane | 14 | Navy | 6 | [18] |
| 1959 | Norfolk, Virginia | Syracuse | 32 | Navy | 6 | [19] |
| 1960 | Norfolk, Virginia | Navy | 26 | SMU | 7 | [20] |
| 1961 | Norfolk, Virginia | Duke | 30 | Navy | 9 | [21] |
| 1962 | Norfolk, Virginia | Navy | 32 | Pittsburgh | 9 | |
| 1963 | Norfolk, Virginia | Navy | 21 | VMI | 12 | [22] |
| *1964 | Norfolk, Virginia | Maryland | 10 | North Carolina | 9 | [23] |
| 1965 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 3 | Southern Miss | 0 | [24] |
| *1966 | Norfolk, Virginia | Southern Miss | 7 | NC State | 6 | [25] |
| 1967 | Norfolk, Virginia | Duke | 35 | Navy | 16 | [26] |
| 1968 | Norfolk, Virginia | Duke | 30 | Maryland | 28 | [27] |
| 1969 | Norfolk, Virginia | VPI | 48 | Duke | 12 | [28] |
| 1970 | Norfolk, Virginia | NC State | 7 | Maryland | 0 | [29] |
| 1971 | Norfolk, Virginia | Clemson | 3 | Duke | 0 | [30] |
| *1972 | Norfolk, Virginia | Duke | 17 | Navy | 16 | [31] |
| *1973 | Norfolk, Virginia | Maryland | 30 | Duke | 10 | [32] |
| 1974 | Norfolk, Virginia | Maryland | 56 | Duke | 13 | [33] |
| 1975 | Norfolk, Virginia | Virginia Tech | 24 | William & Mary | 7 | [34] |
| 1976 | Norfolk, Virginia | VMI | 13 | Virginia | 7 | [35] |
| 1977 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 21 | East Carolina | 17 | [36] |
| *1978 | Norfolk, Virginia | East Carolina | 21 | Richmond | 14 | [37] |
| 1979 | Norfolk, Virginia | Navy | 24 | William & Mary | 7 | [38] |
| 1980 | Norfolk, Virginia | Virginia Tech | 21 | VMI | 6 | [39] |
| 1981 | Norfolk, Virginia | VMI | 14 | The Citadel | 0 | [40] |
| 1982 | Norfolk, Virginia | Virginia Tech | 14 | VMI | 3 | [41] |
| 1983 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 26 | Yale | 14 | [42][43] |
| 1984 | Norfolk, Virginia | Virginia Tech | 54 | VMI | 7 | [44] |
| 1985 | Norfolk, Virginia | Richmond | 38 | James Madison | 15 | [45] |
| 1986 | Norfolk, Virginia | Temple | 29 | Virginia Tech | 16 | [46][47][48] |
| 1987 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 17 | VMI | 6 | [49] |
| 1988 | Norfolk, Virginia | The Citadel | 30 | VMI | 20 | [50] |
| *1989 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 13 | Boston University | 10 | [51] |
| 1990 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 59 | VMI | 47 | [52] |
| 1991 | Norfolk, Virginia | The Citadel | 17 | VMI | 14 | [53] |
| 1992 | Norfolk, Virginia | Richmond | 41 | VMI | 18 | [54] |
| 1993 | Norfolk, Virginia | William & Mary | 49 | VMI | 6 | [55] |
| 1994 | Norfolk, Virginia | The Citadel | 58 | VMI | 14 | [56] |
| 1995 | Norfolk, Virginia | Georgia Southern | 31 | VMI | 13 | [57] |
| 1996 | No game held | |||||
| 1997 | No game held | |||||
| 1998 | No game held | |||||
| 1999 | Hampton, Virginia | Wesley (DE) | 48 | Apprentice | 33 | |
| 2000 | Hampton, Virginia | Methodist | 30 | Apprentice | 8 | |
| 2001 | Hampton, Virginia | Christopher Newport | 14 | Ferrum | 11 | |
| 2002 | Hampton, Virginia | Salisbury | 48 | Apprentice | 17 | |
| 2003 | Hampton, Virginia | Bridgewater | 58 | Catholic University | 20 | |
| 2004 | Hampton, Virginia | Christopher Newport | 21 | Bridgewater | 16 | |
| 2005 | Newport News, Virginia | Wesley (DE) | 45 | Apprentice | 0 | |
| 2006 | Newport News, Virginia | Apprentice | 37 | Chowan | 0 | |
| 2007 | Newport News, Virginia | Chowan | 61 | Apprentice | 55 | |
| 2008 | Newport News, Virginia | Apprentice | 37 | Southern Virginia | 14 | |
| 2009 | Newport News, Virginia | Southern Virginia | 14 | Apprentice | 10 | |
| 2010 | Newport News, Virginia | Webber International | 40 | Apprentice | 7 | |
| 2011 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 23 | James Madison | 20 | |
| 2012 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 31 | Delaware | 26 | |
| 2013 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 66 | Albany | 10 | |
| 2014 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 30 | Louisiana Tech | 27 | |
| 2015 | Norfolk, Virginia | Florida Atlantic | 33 | Old Dominion | 31 | |
| 2016 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 42 | FIU | 28 | |
| 2017 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 24 | Rice | 21 | |
| 2018 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 77 | VMI | 14 | |
| 2019 | Norfolk, Virginia | Charlotte | 38 | Old Dominion | 22 | |
| 2020 | No game held | |||||
| 2021 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 56 | Charlotte | 34 | |
| 2022 | Norfolk, Virginia | James Madison | 37 | Old Dominion | 3 | |
| 2023 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 28 | Appalachian State | 21 | |
| 2024 | Norfolk, Virginia | Marshall | 42 | Old Dominion | 35 | |
| 2025 | Norfolk, Virginia | Old Dominion | 27 | Georgia State | 10 | |
References
- 1 2 Peggy Haile, Pages from Norfolk's Past Archived 2011-05-24 at the Wayback Machine, Norfolk Public Library, retrieved January 31, 2009.
- 1 2 20th Century History Archived 2009-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, The City of Norfolk, VA, retrieved January 31, 2009.
- 1 2 Oyster Bowl runs out of downs, Shriners pull plug on 49-year tradition, The Virginian Pilot, February 22, 1996, retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ↑ Oyster Bowl Information, Newport News Apprentice School, November 13, 2008, retrieved February 1, 2009.
- ↑ Kirsch, Fred (December 1, 2004). "Coach Jim tackled a lot, but one was most memorable". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012.
- ↑ Keith McMillan, Around the Nation, D3 Football, November 9, 2001, retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ↑ "W&M overpowers Keydets in Oyster Bowl Classic, 31–0". Daily Press. October 10, 1948. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Short Shot on State's 1949 Football Opponents". Media guide, Football, North Carolina State, 1949 season.
- ↑ "Pack Edges V.P.I. 14–13 For First Win". The Technician. North Carolina State University. November 4, 1949. p. 6. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ↑ "William-Mary breaks losing streak to upset N.C. State 34 to 0". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. November 26, 1950. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Duke crushes Virginia Tech in fifth annual Oyster Bowl game, 55 to 6". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. October 21, 1951. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "South Carolina upsets Virginia in Oyster Bowl". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. November 2, 1952. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Duke swamps Virginia, 48–6". The Baltimore Sun. November 1, 1953. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "30,000 see Navy humble Duke in Oyster Bowl, 40–7". The Portsmouth Star. November 7, 1954. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "North Carolina triumphs in Oyster Bowl, 32–14". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. November 6, 1955. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Pitt turns back Duke in Oyster Bowl, 27 to 14". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. October 21, 1956. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Middies down aroused Bulldogs in Oyster Bowl, 27–14". The Virginian-Pilot. October 20, 1957. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tulane submerges Navy, 14–6". Daily Press. October 19, 1958. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Navy stopped by Syracuse". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. October 11, 1959. p. 3B. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Google News Archive.
- ↑ "Bellino stars in rain-swept Oyster Bowl". The Virginian-Pilot. October 9, 1960. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Devils pin loss on Navy". Fort Lauderdale News. November 12, 1961. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Navy edges V.M.I., 21–12". The Baltimore Sun. October 20, 1963. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Terrapins edge Tar Heels, 10–9". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 18, 1964. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "McGuire, defense pace W&M victory, 3–0". Daily Press. October 31, 1965. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Rowe 'Outstanding Player,' but Southerners capture top prize, 7–6 Oyster Bowl victory". Daily Press. November 13, 1966. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Duke whips Middies by 35–16 score". The Baltimore Sun. November 12, 1967. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Duke halts upset try by Terps". Fort Lauderdale News. October 6, 1968. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "VPI takes it out on Duke, 48–12". Daily Press. November 16, 1969. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Maryland 'booted' by Wolfpack, 6–0". Florence Morning News. October 25, 1970. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Clemson stuns Duke, 3–0". Daily Press. October 10, 1971. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Blue Devils nip Navy by 17–16". The Gastonia Gazette. October 29, 1972. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Terps tame Duke in Oyster Bowl". Daily Press. October 28, 1973. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Duke stewed by Terps". Daily Press. November 17, 1974. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Barnes, Rogers lead Tech to 24–7 win in Oyster Bowl". The Danville Register. November 2, 1975. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Keydets capture 13–7 decision over Virginia". The Herald-Sun. October 31, 1976. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Rozantz leads W&M's upset of Pirates". The Danville Register. November 13, 1977. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Green of East Carolina stops Spiders' upset bid". Daily Press. October 22, 1978. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Navy routs W&M in Oyster Bowl 24–7". The Roanoke Times & World News. October 14, 1979. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Gobblers get the Peach". The News and Observer. November 16, 1980. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "VMI uses defense to stymie Citadel". Daily Press. October 11, 1981. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tech wins Oyster Bowl". The Daily News Leader. November 21, 1982. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Rogers, Thomas (1983-10-04). "Scouting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
- ↑ Denn, Charlie (October 2, 1983). "Murphy Sparks W&M over Yale". Daily Press. p. D-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Va. Tech romps by VMI, 54–7". The News and Observer. October 7, 1984. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Bleier blase about records". Daily Press. October 6, 1985. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Oyster Bowl Will Be Televised by Home Team Sports". scholar.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
- ↑ "Hokies zapped by Owls". Daily Press. October 19, 1986. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Temple forfeits six games". The Anniston Star. July 26, 1988. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tribe defense accounts for win over VMI". Daily Press. November 1, 1987. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "VMI falls to Citadel in Classic". The Times and Democrat. November 13, 1988. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Indians hold off Boston U." The News and Advance. October 15, 1989. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tribe wins wildest yet Oyster Bowl". Daily Press. October 14, 1990. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Douglas, defense pace Citadel". The State. October 27, 1991. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Spiders storm past VMI". Daily Press. October 25, 1992. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "No pearl in this Oyster Bowl". Daily Press. October 3, 1993. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Citadel bullies Keydets". Daily Press. November 13, 1994. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ga. Southern tops VMI, remains in playoff race". The Atlanta Constitution. November 19, 1995. Retrieved October 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.