# Richmond Spiders football

The Richmond Spiders are a college football team representing the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision champion for the 2008 season. Richmond competes in CAA Football, a legally separate football league operated by the multi-sports Coastal Athletic Association that competes in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman was named head coach of the Spiders, on December 14, 2016, replacing Danny Rocco who had departed to become head coach at the University of Delaware a day earlier.
In 2008, No. 7 Richmond beat Eastern Kentucky, Appalachian State, and Northern Iowa to advance to the NCAA Division I Football Championship against Montana. In the FCS National Championship Game on December 19, 2008, they defeated Montana 24–7 to win the first team NCAA national title for the University of Richmond in any sport.

## Rivals

Richmond's traditional rival in many sports is the College of William & Mary. Richmond and William & Mary have met 135 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 the annual W&M–Richmond match-up claims the Capital Cup (formerly the I-64 Trophy), which reflects the historical significance of the cities of Williamsburg and Richmond as the last two capitals of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

## Conference affiliations

* 1881–1900: Independent
* 1900–1920: Eastern Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association (EVIAA)
* 1911–1921: South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SAIAA) – participated simultaneously as a member of both organizations
* 1922–1926: Independent
* 1927–1935: Virginia Conference
* 1936–1975: Southern Conference
* 1976–1977: NCAA Division I independent
* 1978–1981: NCAA Division I-A independent
* 1982–1985: NCAA Division I-AA independent
* 1986–1996: Yankee Conference
* 1997–2006: Atlantic 10 Conference
* 2007–2024: CAA / CAA Football
* 2025–future: Patriot League

## All-Americans

* Walker Gillette, SE- 1969 Consensus 1st Team (FWAA-1st; NEA-1st; TSN-1st; Time-1st)
* Walker Gillette, WR- 1969 (AP-1st)
* Barty Smith, RB- 1973 (AP-3rd)
* Jeff Nixon, DB- 1976 (AP-3rd)

## Richmond Spiders in the NFL Draft
### Undrafted players and non-NFL draftees

* Rick Sowieta, LB, Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Rough Riders
* Carmen Cavalli, Oakland Raiders draft pick (1960)
* Reggie Evans, RB
* Bruce Gossett, K
* Matt Joyce, G/T
* Paris Lenon, LB
* Matt Snider, FB
* Brendan Toibin, K
* Stacy Tutt, FB
* Josh Vaughan, RB
* Danny Desriveaux, Montreal Alouettes
* Eric Ward, QB, Edmonton Eskimos (2011)
* Winston October, DB/KR, Montreal Alouettes, WR/KR, Washington Redskins and Edmonton Eskimos
* Ben Edwards, WR/KR, New York Giants
* Seth Williams, CFL player
* Martin Parker, DT
* Kerry Wynn, DE
* Kendall Gaskins, RB
* Mike Burkhead, QB
* Jacob Ruby, OL, Edmonton Eskimos
* Kyle Lauletta, QB, New York Giants
* Winston Craig, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
* David Jones, DB
Brian Brown| WR (Dallas cowboys)

## Playoffs

The Spiders have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs 14 times. Their combined record is 17–13. They were FCS National Champions in 2008.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1984 | First Round Quarterfinals | Boston University Rhode Island | W 35–33 L 17–23 |
| 1987 | First Round | Appalachian State | L 3–20 |
| 1998 | First Round | Lehigh | L 23–24 |
| 2000 | First Round Quarterfinals | Youngstown State Montana | W 10–3 L 20–34 |
| 2005 | First Round Quarterfinals | Hampton Furman | W 38–10 L 20–24 |
| 2007 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Eastern Kentucky Wofford Appalachian State | W 31–14 W 21–10 L 35–55 |
| 2008 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Eastern Kentucky Appalachian State Northern Iowa Montana | W 38–10 W 33–13 W 21–20 W 24–7 |
| 2009 | First Round Quarterfinals | Elon Appalachian State | W 16–13 L 31–35 |
| 2014 | First Round Second Round | Morgan State Coastal Carolina | W 46–24 L 15–36 |
| 2015 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | William & Mary Illinois State North Dakota State | W 48–13 W 39–27 L 7–33 |
| 2016 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | North Carolina A&T North Dakota Eastern Washington | W 39–10 W 27–24 L 0–38 |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | Davidson Sacramento State | W 41–0 L 31–38 |
| 2023 | First Round Second Round | North Carolina Central Albany | W 49–27 L 13–41 |
| 2024 | First Round | Lehigh | L 16–20 |

## Bowl games

During their time as an NCAA University Division (Major College) team, Richmond appeared in two bowl games, both times in the Tangerine Bowl against the champion of the Mid-American Conference. They have a record of 1–1.
| Year | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1968 | Frank Jones | Tangerine Bowl | Ohio | W 49–42 |
| 1971 | Frank Jones | Tangerine Bowl | Toledo | L 3–28 |

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 1, 2025
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2031 |
| at Wofford | at NC State | at Louisville | at VMI | VMI | at Virginia |
| at North Carolina | Norfolk State | at Norfolk State | at Virginia | at Pittsburgh | |
| VMI | Furman | | | | |
| Howard | | | | | |
| at William & Mary | | | | | |