# Hampton Pirates football

The Hampton Pirates football team represents Hampton University in college football. The Pirates compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of CAA Football, the legally separate football league operated by the multi-sports Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).

## History
### Classifications

* 1950–1972: NCAA College Division
* 1973–1994: NCAA Division II
* 1995–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

### Conference memberships

* 1902–1911: Independent
* 1912–1994: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
* 1995–2017: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
* 2018: Independent
* 2019–2021: Big South Conference
* 2022–present: CAA Football

## Championships
### Black College National championships

| Season | Coach | Selectors | Record |
| 1922 | Gideon Smith | PC | 6–1 |
| 1985 | Fred Freeman | Jet | 10–2 |
| 1994 | Joe Taylor | AURN | 10–1 |
| 1997 | Joe Taylor | AURN | 10–2 |
| 2004 | Joe Taylor | ASW, AURN, DCCC-M | 10–2 |
| 2005 | Joe Taylor | ADW, ASW | 11–1 |
| 2006 | Joe Taylor | ASW, BCSP, DCCC-M | 10–2 |
| HBCU National Championships | HBCU National Championships | HBCU National Championships | 7 | 7 | 7 |

### Conference championships

| Year | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record |
| 1913 | L.L. Pepin | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 6–0 | 4–0 |
| 1914† | C.H. Williams | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| 1915 | C.H. Williams | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 4–0 | 3–0 |
| 1916 | C.H. Williams | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 4–0 | 3–0 |
| 1922 | Gideon Smith | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 6–1 | 4–1 |
| 1925 | Gideon Smith | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 4–1–1 | 4–1–1 |
| 1926 | Gideon Smith | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 7–0–1 | 6–0–1 |
| 1928 | Gideon Smith | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 8–1 | 8–0 |
| 1931 | Gideon Smith | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 8–0–1 | 6–0–1 |
| 1985 | Fred Freeman | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 10–2 | 7–1 |
| 1987 | Fred Freeman | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 9–3 | 6–2 |
| 1992 | Joe Taylor | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 9–2–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 1993 | Joe Taylor | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 12–1 | 8–0 |
| 1994 | Joe Taylor | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 10–1 | 8–0 |
| 1997 | Joe Taylor | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 10–2 | 7–0 |
| 1998† | Joe Taylor | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 9–3 | 7–1 |
| 2004† | Joe Taylor | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 10–2 | 6–1 |
| 2005 | Joe Taylor | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 11–1 | 8–0 |
| 2006 | Joe Taylor | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 10–2 | 7–1 |
| Conference Championships | Conference Championships | Conference Championships | 19 | 19 | 19 |

## Notable alumni

Over 25 Hampton alumni have played or coached in the NFL, including:
* Jamal Brooks
* Chris Baker
* Darian Barnes
* Travis Coleman
* Reggie Doss
* Justin Durant
* Kenrick Ellis
* Kendall Langford
* Jerome Mathis
* Michael Ola
* Lucien Reeberg
* Carl Painter
* Greg Scott
* Zuriel Smith
* Ricardo Silva
* Derius Swinton II
* Cordell Taylor
* Terrence Warren
* Marcus Dixon
* Antico Dalton
In 2022, former Hampton Pirate defensive back, Destin Route, more well known as JID on-stage, was nominated for a Grammy for his rap album, The Forever Story.
Also in 2022, Pirates player Byron Perkins came out as gay, making him the first openly gay football player at any historically black college or university.

## Playoff appearances
### NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

The Pirates have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs five times with an overall record of 0–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1997 | First Round | Youngstown State | L 13–28 |
| 1998 | First Round | Connecticut | L 34–42 |
| 2004 | First Round | William & Mary | L 35–42 |
| 2005 | First Round | Richmond | L 10–38 |
| 2006 | First Round | New Hampshire | L 38–41 |

### NCAA Division II

The Pirates appeared in the Division II playoffs three times with an overall record of 1–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1985 | First Round | Bloomsburg (PA) | L 28–38 |
| 1992 | First Round | North Alabama | L 21–33 |
| 1993 | First Round Second Round | Albany State (GA) North Alabama | W 33–7 L 28–38 |

## Rivalries

* Battle of the Bay (Hampton–Norfolk State)
* The Real HU (Hampton–Howard)

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 19, 2025.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2030 |
| at Jackson State | at Maryland | at Morgan State |
| Elizabeth City State | |
| vs Howard (Washington, DC) | | |
| Norfolk State | | |