While it may not be the flagship college football program in the state of Virginia, the Norfolk State Spartans are still a big deal in the southeast corner of the state. As an FCS program, it’s usually easier to find cheap Norfolk State football tickets than some of the other football programs in Virginia. But that doesn’t mean the Spartans don’t provide plenty of entertainment value. After all, they have slowly worked their way up the college football hierarchy and built a loyal fanbase along the way. Even without a lot of tradition, it’s a program with a lot of pride, which is why last-minute Norfolk State football tickets are always in high demand.

Catching Up

It’s taken a long time for the Spartans to reach the FCS level and play competitive college football. From 1965 to 1984, Norfolk State competed at the NAIA level, although the Spartans enjoyed a nice run of success during the 1970s under coach Dick Price, winning three straight conference titles at one point. After spending time at the Division II level, the Spartans finally made their move to the FCS level in 1997, finding a permanent home in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1999. Norfolk State took another step in 2011, reaching the FCS Playoffs for the first time. The Spartans lost that game to Old Dominion, although that game helped give birth to a blossoming and intense intra-city rivalry.

Battle of the Bay

Of course, none of Norfolk State’s rivalries can compare to the one the Spartans have with the Hampton Pirates. This rivalry is dubbed the Battle of the Bay, as the schools are separated by just 15 miles but located on different sides of the James River as it flows into the Chesapeake Bay. There isn’t a bigger game in that part of Virginia than the yearly Hampton-Norfolk State game. Even if they are now in different conferences, the Spartans and Pirates remain rivals, with every game being the highlight of Norfolk State’s football season.