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).

Hampton Pirates football
2025 Hampton Pirates football team
First season	1902; 123 years ago (1902)
Head coach	Trenton Boykin interim; 1st season, 5–7 (.417)
Stadium	Armstrong Stadium (capacity: 12,000)
Field surface	AstroTurf
Location	Hampton, Virginia
NCAA division	Division I FCS
Conference	CAA Football
Claimed national titles	7 (Black College): 1922, 1985, 1994, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006
Conference titles	19
Rivalries	Howard (rivalry) Norfolk State (rivalry)
Colors	Reflex blue and white
Website	hamptonpirates.com/football

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			10–2
2004		ASW, AURN, DCCC-M	10–2
2005		ADW, ASW	11–1
2006		ASW, BCSP, DCCC-M	10–2
HBCU National Championships			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		3–1	2–1
1915			4–0	3–0
1916			4–0	3–0
1922	Gideon Smith		6–1	4–1
1925			4–1–1	4–1–1
1926			7–0–1	6–0–1
1928			8–1	8–0
1931			8–0–1	6–0–1
1985	Fred Freeman		10–2	7–1
1987			9–3	6–2
1992	Joe Taylor		9–2–1	5–0–1
1993			12–1	8–0
1994			10–1	8–0
1997		Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	10–2	7–0
1998†			9–3	7–1
2004†			10–2	6–1
2005			11–1	8–0
2006			10–2	7–1
Conference Championships			19

Notable alumni

Over 25 Hampton alumni have played or coached in the NFL, including:^[1]

• 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.^[2][3]

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 August 20, 2025.^[4]

2025	2026	2027	2028	2030
at Jackson State	at Maryland	at Georgia Tech	at Old Dominion	at Morgan State
Elizabeth City State
vs Howard (Washington, DC)
Norfolk State