# Norfolk State Spartans football

The Norfolk State Spartans football team represents Norfolk State University in Division I FCS college football. The team plays their home games at William "Dick" Price Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia.

## History
### Classifications

* 1956–1972: NCAA College Division
* 1965–1969: NAIA
* 1970–1984: NAIA Division I
* 1973–1996: NCAA Division II
* 1997–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

### Conference memberships

* 1938–1952: Independent
* 1953–1960: Eastern Intercollegiate Conference
* 1961: Independent
* 1962–1996: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
* 1997–1998: NCAA Division I–AA independent
* 1999–present: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

## Championships
### Conference championships

| Year | Coach | Conference | Conference record |
| 1957 | Joe Echols | Eastern Intercollegiate Conference | |
| 1959 | Joe Echols | Eastern Intercollegiate Conference | |
| 1974 | Dick Price | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 8–0 |
| 1975 | Dick Price | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 7–1 |
| 1976 | Dick Price | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 7–1 |
| 1984 | Willard Bailey | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 6–1 |

### Division championships

| Year | Coach | Division | Division Record |
| 1984 | Willard Bailey | CIAA Northern Division | |

## Bowl games

The Spartans have appeared in four bowl games, with a record of 0–3–1.
| Season | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1947 | Cotton-Tobacco Bowl | Richmond | T 0–0 |
| 1974 | Gate City Bowl | Tuskegee | L 14–15 |
| 1976 | Bicentennial Bowl | South Carolina State | L 10–26 |
| 1979 | Gold Bowl | South Carolina State | L 7–39 |

## FCS Playoffs results

The Spartans have appeared in the FCS playoffs one time with an overall record of 0–1.
| Season | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2011 | First Round | Old Dominion | L 18–35 |

## Division II Playoffs results

The Bears have appeared in the Division II playoffs one time with an overall record of 0–1.
| Season | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1984 | Quarterfinals | Towson State | L 21–31 |

## Rivalries
### Old Dominion

NSU and Old Dominion played for the first time on November 26, 2011 in the first round of the FCS playoffs which resulted in a 35–18 Spartan loss. Old Dominion and NSU announced a new deal for a home and away series in 2013 and 2015 to help fill out open game dates for ODU's transition to the FBS. ODU plays at Foreman Field; NSU at Dick Price Stadium.
| Norfolk State victories | Old Dominion victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team | Series |
| 1 | November 26, 2011 | Foreman Field | #10 Old Dominion | 35 | #19 Norfolk State | 18 | Old Dominion 1–0 |
| 2 | October 26, 2013 | Dick Price Stadium | Old Dominion | 27 | Norfolk State | 24 | Old Dominion 2–0 |
| 3 | September 12, 2015 | Foreman Field | Old Dominion | 24 | Norfolk State | 10 | Old Dominion 3–0 |

### Hampton

As of the 2017 season, Norfolk State has a 28–26–1 series lead over the Pirates of Hampton University, another historically black university in the Hampton Roads area.

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 26, 2025
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
| Towson | at Old Dominion | at Old Dominion | at Rutgers | at Wake Forest | at East Carolina |
| Virginia State | at Virginia | North Carolina A&T | Elon | at Miami (OH) | at James Madison |
| at Rutgers | at North Carolina A&T | Richmond | VMI | | |
| Sacred Heart | at Richmond | at Towson | | | |
| at Wagner | at Robert Morris | at Elon | | | |
| at Hampton | | | | | |
| at Wofford | | | | | |