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Hampton University releases 2008 Football Schedule
January 24, 2008
HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University Department of Athletics has released its 2008 football schedule, a slate of games that includes six contests at Armstrong Stadium on the HU campus.
 According to Lonza Hardy Jr., HU’s Director of Athletics, the Pirates’ 2008 schedule features games against the traditional rivals from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as well as two non-conference opponents. One of those non-conference games will be against former CIAA rival Virginia Union University.
“We believe our fans will be in for a treat next season,” said Hardy. “We have a new head coach (Jerry Holmes), we’re opening up our schedule at home against Virginia Union and our slate of home games includes contests against the likes of Norfolk State, Howard, North Carolina A&T and Bethune-Cookman. Plus, when we play our homecoming game on November 1st against Winston-Salem State, it’ll be a great way to cap off the university’s Tom Joyner Foundation School-of-the-Month celebration.”
Three of the Pirates’ first four games will be played at home at Armstrong Stadium, including an August 30 kickoff against Virginia Union at 6 p.m. Following a road date at Southern Illinois University the following week in Carbondale, Ill., the Pirates will return home for back-to-back games against Howard University on September 13 and North Carolina A&T State University on September 20, both with 6 p.m. kickoffs. A road date with Morgan State University on September 27 will close out the first portion of the Pirates’ schedule.
The month of October opens with a battle with defending MEAC champion Delaware State University in Dover, Del. on October 4. The Pirates will enjoy an open weekend on October 11 before its annual Battle of the Bay showdown against archrival Norfolk State University at 1 p.m. on October 18. The month closes out the following week in Orangeburg, S.C., when HU hits the road for a rematch with the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University.
Following the Pirates’ 2 p.m. homecoming game against Winston-Salem State on November 1, the team will host Bethune-Cookman University at Armstrong Stadium on November 8 at 1 p.m. The regular-season will then conclude in Tallahassee, Fla. on November 15, when the Pirates face former head coach Joe Taylor and the Rattlers of Florida A&M University.
Jerry Holmes, who has replaced Taylor as Hampton’s head coach, said he’s already eager for the season to kick off.
“Our motto this season is ‘Iron Sharpens Iron’ and we are just trying to sharpen up in some areas because this is already a great program that Coach Taylor put together,” stated Holmes. “I like the schedule and the placement of the open date in the middle of the schedule gives the guys a chance to rest up for the second half of conference play. It’s a very tough schedule and it’s going to make us a better team in the end. We get a chance to play a team who will be ranked in the top 10-to-15 in Division I-AA (Southern Illinois).
“Not looking over all of the other games, but the last game against Florida A&M is going to be a very good game,” added Holmes. “I know that when the team looks at the schedule, the first thing that they are going to look for is to see when we play Florida A&M because they want to square off against Coach Taylor and some of the former coaches.”
The complete schedule is listed below. Tickets for HU’s home games are expected to go on sale in April.
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
2008 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 – Virginia Union
Sept. 6 – at Southern Illinois
Sept. 13 – Howard
Sept. 20 – N. Carolina A&T
Sept. 27 – at Morgan State
Oct. 4 – at Delaware State
Oct. 11 – Open
Oct. 18 – Norfolk State (“Battle of the Bay”)
Oct. 25 – at S. Carolina State
Nov. 1 – Winston-Salem State (“Homecoming”)
Nov. 8 – Bethune-Cookman
Nov. 15 – at Florida A&M
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