The William & Mary Tribe are a college football team representing the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. William & Mary competes in CAA Football, a single-sport NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision conference operated by the Tribe's primary athletic home of the Coastal Athletic Association. They are currently coached by Mike London. He succeeds Jimmye Laycock, who was the head coach of the Tribe for 39 years. William & Mary's traditional rival in football is the University of Richmond. William & Mary and Richmond have met 134 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 this annual W&M–Richmond match-up claims the Capital Cup (previously known as the I-64 Trophy), named for the last two Virginia state capitals, Richmond and Williamsburg. In 2008, William & Mary opened the Jimmye Laycock Football Center, housing the Tribe locker room, football players' classroom study sessions and tape review rooms. The College of William & Mary has transitioned through several official nicknames since its athletic program began in 1893. From 1893 to 1916, William & Mary football players were known as the Orange and White because those were the old official school colors. From 1916 to 1977, all William & Mary athletes were known as the Indians. Since 1978, they have been known as the Tribe.

History

The William & Mary Tribe football team had sustained success during Jimmye Laycock's tenure. Since his taking over as head coach, W&M enjoyed over 25 winning seasons and 10 playoff appearances, the 23rd most appearances of any FCS program. The long-time head-coach led the Tribe to multiple playoff appearances, including the national semifinal game on two occasions. Most recently, the Tribe lost in a quarterfinal matchup against Montana State University in 2022. In 2009 the Tribe also reached the semifinal against eventual champions Villanova in 2009, losing by a single point. The team has also appeared in three bowl games: the 1948 Dixie Bowl, 1949 Delta Bowl and 1970 Tangerine Bowl. The Tribe are 1–2 in those games, with the lone win being a 20–0 victory over Oklahoma A&M in 1949.

Rivalries

Aside from William & Mary's lengthy Capital Cup rivalry with the University of Richmond, the Tribe also hold historic rivalries with in-state opponents like James Madison University and the Virginia Military Institute, as well as out-of-state opponents like the University of Delaware. As of 2022, the Richmond Spiders and Delaware Blue Hens are still football members of the Colonial Athletic Association with William & Mary. William & Mary also maintains older, less intense rivalries with the VMI Keydets from its days in the Southern Conference, and the Virginia Cavaliers as part of the unofficial Jefferson Cup, named after Thomas Jefferson, who attended the College of William & Mary before founding the University of Virginia. The Tribe holds non-conference rivalries against the Old Dominion Monarchs and the James Madison Dukes of the Sun Belt Conference, both competing in CAA Football before joining the FBS in 2014 and 2022, respectively.

Series records

Currently in the NFL

Current as of the 2023 football season.

Coaches

Scouts

Players

Players

Championships

Conference championships

The Tribe have won 18 conference championships, with eight won outright. † Co-championship

Division championships

The Tribe have one division title, won during their time in the Yankee Conference.

Bowl games

William & Mary have participated in three bowl games. The Tribe have a record of 1–2.

Playoffs

The Tribe have participated in the playoffs 11 times, with 18 total playoff games played for a record of 8–11.

Halls of Fame inductees

College Football

National Football League (NFL)

Canadian Football League (CFL)

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of June 22, 2024.