Richmond Spiders football

Rivals

Richmond's traditional rival in many sports is the College of William & Mary. Richmond and William & Mary have met 136 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

Main article: List of 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)

Championships

Conference championships

Richmond has won seventeen conference championships, four outright and thirteen shared. According to their record books, they do not claim the Virginia Conference championships.

† denotes co-champions

National championships

Richmond has won one national championship.

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.

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.

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of December 23, 2025

Notes

References

References

1. "Huesman Named Head Coach Of Spiders Football".
2. "Richmond, William & Mary Rename Football Rivalry As Capital Cup - RICHMOND OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE".
3. O'Connor, John. (May 14, 2024). "Richmond Spiders shifting from CAA Football to Patriot League".
4. "Football Records Oct. 6, 2025".
5. "Future Richmond Spiders Football Schedules". FBSchedules.com.