ODU Football opens its 2026 season at home on Sept. 5 against Norfolk State, which is coming off a 1-11 season in Year 1 under former Virginia Tech and NFL quarterback Michael Vick.
The schedule also includes a road game at Virginia Tech, which will pay ODU $1.1 million for the Sept. 12 game in Lane Stadium, where the Monarchs dogwalked the Hokies last season, winning 45-26 in what turned out to be the final game of the Brent Pry head-coaching era.
Tech opens the James Franklin era on Sept. 5 with VMI, which, like Norfolk State, was also 1-11 last year.
Norfolk State will play in Week 2 at Virginia in the home opener for the ‘Hoos.
Challenging games for our local programs to open things up.
ODU, which won 10 games in 2025, also hosts ECU (Sept. 19) and JMU (Sept. 26) in the opening month of the 2026 schedule.
ECU finished with a 9-4 record in 2025.
JMU finished 12-2, and got into the College Football Playoff.
2026 ODU Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| Sept. 5 | Norfolk State |
| Sept. 12 | at Virginia Tech |
| Sept. 19 | East Carolina |
| Sept. 26 | James Madison |
| Oct. 3 | at Georgia State |
| Oct. 10 | at App State |
| Oct. 15 | Georgia Southern |
| Oct. 24 | at Louisiana Tech |
| Oct. 31 | Marshall |
| Nov. 7 | at Coastal Carolina |
| Nov. 21 | at UConn |
| Nov. 28 | Southern Miss |
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Chris Graham
