Last updated: November 1, 2026
The Royal Rivalry between James Madison and Old Dominion is scored in every sport, and JMU has already banked the first point of 2026-27 with a 46-20 football win in Norfolk on September 26. The Dukes won the year-long TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge in three of its first four seasons, so here is how the race works and where it stands.
Quick summary
- JMU beat ODU 46-20 on September 26, 2026, and is 5-0 against the Monarchs since both joined the Sun Belt in 2022.
- The Royal Rivalry Challenge awards one point per head-to-head win and half a point per tie across all sports.
- JMU won the challenge in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2025-26 (9.5-7.5), and the two schools tied in 2024-25.
- JMU leads ODU 48-32-3 in head-to-head meetings across the first four challenge years.
Why It’s Called the Royal Rivalry
Dukes vs. Monarchs: both schools carry royal nicknames, and the name followed. They were Colonial Athletic Association rivals for years before ODU moved to Conference USA for FBS football. Both programs joined the Sun Belt in 2022, which put every sport back on the calendar, and that fall the schools and TowneBank formalized the Royal Rivalry with a year-long challenge.
How the challenge is scored
Each head-to-head win is worth one point and each tie half a point. When the teams do not meet directly, the better finish at a shared conference championship earns the point. Regular-season and postseason matchups both count, and the leader at the end of the year takes the crown-shaped Royal Rivalry Trophy.
Royal Rivalry Challenge Results
- 2022-23: JMU 16.5, ODU 7.5
- 2023-24: JMU 14.5, ODU 7.5
- 2024-25: tie, 11-11
- 2025-26: JMU 9.5, ODU 7.5
In 2025-26, JMU clinched the trophy with a 7-3 baseball win in Norfolk on May 16. Volleyball swept both matches in November, and JMU went 3-1 in basketball, with the women’s team now 9-0 against ODU since the challenge began.
Football Series at a Glance
- Oct. 29, 2011: ODU 23, JMU 20 (Foreman Field)
- Nov. 17, 2012: ODU 38, JMU 28 (Bridgeforth Stadium)
- Nov. 12, 2022: JMU 37, ODU 3 (S.B. Ballard Stadium)
- Oct. 28, 2023: JMU 30, ODU 27 (Bridgeforth Stadium)
- Nov. 16, 2024: JMU 35, ODU 32 (S.B. Ballard Stadium)
- Oct. 18, 2025: JMU 63, ODU 27 (Bridgeforth Stadium)
- Sept. 26, 2026: JMU 46, ODU 20 (Norfolk)
JMU now leads the football series 5-2. ODU won the first two meetings as FCS programs, and the 2023 and 2024 games were each decided by three points.
The 2026 game
In the Sun Belt opener for both teams, JMU rolled 46-20. Quarterback Camden Coleman threw four touchdown passes, George Pettaway ran for 110 yards, kicker Morgan Suarez made four field goals, and the JMU defense recorded nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
Basketball and Beyond
Old Dominion still leads the long-running basketball series: 59-36 in men’s basketball and 53-34 in women’s basketball. JMU has controlled the recent meetings, though, including a 70-69 men’s win on January 10, 2026, and women’s wins of 87-53 and 77-55 last season.
The challenge is decided across volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, golf, tennis, baseball and more, so athletes outside football swing the trophy just as much as a quarterback does.
What to Watch in 2026-27
- Volleyball: JMU’s two November wins last season gave it an early lead, so this fall’s matches could set the tone again.
- Basketball: ODU leads both all-time series, but JMU has dominated recent meetings. A Monarchs sweep would flip the race quickly.
- Spring sports: Last year came down to baseball in May. With the margin only two points, tennis, golf, lacrosse and baseball could decide it again.
After a tie in 2024-25 and a two-point finish in 2025-26, the challenge has become much closer than the early JMU blowouts suggested. ODU needs only a handful of extra wins to take its first outright trophy.
Follow JMU and ODU on RallyFuel
Follow the Dukes on the James Madison page, including the baseball team that clinched last year’s trophy, and the Monarchs on the Old Dominion page and ODU men’s basketball page. Browse the league on the Sun Belt page, read our Sun Belt NIL deals guide, and see JMU’s other in-state rivalry in Battle of the Blue Ridge: JMU vs. Liberty.
FAQ
What is the Royal Rivalry?
It is the all-sports rivalry between James Madison and Old Dominion, scored each year through the TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge.
Who won the 2025-26 Royal Rivalry Challenge?
JMU, 9.5-7.5, clinching with a 7-3 baseball win in Norfolk on May 16, 2026.
Who won the 2026 JMU vs. ODU football game?
James Madison won 46-20 in Norfolk on September 26, 2026.
Who leads the JMU vs. ODU football series?
JMU leads 5-2, including five straight wins since 2022.
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