The Hampton Pirates just revealed their 2024 football schedule with a lineup of teams that head coach Robert Prunty called “difficult and demanding.” The Pirates are coming off a 5-6 season in 2023 and are seeking their first winning season since 2018, when they went 7-3.
“It will be a big challenge for us and one we are looking forward to,” Prunty said. “The CAA is the most competitive league in the country. But we will be up for the challenge.”
The Pirates will certainly have their work cut out for them this season. They open the year on Aug. 31 with the second installment of the Brick City Classic: an annual matchup between Hampton and the Grambling State Tigers. The Pirates won the inaugural game last year 35-31, but they'll be facing a new-look Grambling State team with new head coach Mickey Joseph instead of Hue Jackson.
They take on Virginia Union before traveling to Norfolk State to pay the Spartans in the Battle of the Bay. Norfolk State won the most recent matchup in the midst of Hampton's eligibility concerns. They immediately turn around to face Howard in the Truth and Service Classic, a matchup that Hampton historically dominates with an all-time record of 54-42-1.
After the Howard game, the Pirates take on their CAA schedule. They start with Rhode Island, then North Carolina A&T, Elon (homecoming), Villanova, Towson, Richmond, and Albany. Unfortunately for Hampton, they face five of the six best teams in the CAA based on last season's records. Villanova and Albany both won 10 or more games and had a 7-1 conference record. Richmond, whom the Pirates beat last year, also had a 7-1 conference record and an overall record of 9-4. Elon and Rhode Island were both 6-5, but Elon had a 6-2 record in the CAA.
The Pirates struggled in the CAA last season. They won just three of their eight conference games. Although they handily defeated the Richmond Spiders, their only other conference victories were against North Carolina A&T and Maine. Both teams finished at the bottom of the CAA.