Completed Event: Baseball at Georgetown on March 31, 2026 , Win , 12, to, 7
BASE
Final
James Madison
12
at Georgetown
7
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
James Madison Wins Inaugural TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge Over Old Dominion
6/8/2023 10:15:00 AM | Administration
HARRISONBURG, Va. – As James Madison and Old Dominion renewed a decades-old rivalry with each institution joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2022, JMU captured the initial TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge with a combined score of 16.5-7.5 in the all-sports competition between the schools.
The Royal Rivalry title derives from the royalty implied in the "Dukes" and "Monarchs" nicknames and the presence of crowns in various logos of both schools. The two in-state schools were conference mates in the Colonial Athletic Association from 1991 to 2013 when ODU exited for Conference USA. While matchups occasionally continued in some sports, the Sun Belt Conference inviting both institutions to join in 2022 allowed head-to-head competition in all sports to resume and the rivalry to be forged.
The Royal Rivalry trophy will be awarded in the fall at the Oct. 28 football matchup between the two schools in Harrisonburg. Royal Rivalry points are awarded for head-to-head competition or for the best finish in mutual conference championship events in sports where head-to-head competition does not occur. Half points are granted in case of a tie. Both regular season and postseason matches are included in head-to-head calculations.
Highlights of JMU's victory in year one of the rivalry include:
TowneBank has agreed to an initial three-year commitment to sponsor the challenge, a partnership secured by LEARFIELD's JMU Sports Properties and Playfly's ODU Sports Properties.
2022-2023 TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge Results:
The Royal Rivalry title derives from the royalty implied in the "Dukes" and "Monarchs" nicknames and the presence of crowns in various logos of both schools. The two in-state schools were conference mates in the Colonial Athletic Association from 1991 to 2013 when ODU exited for Conference USA. While matchups occasionally continued in some sports, the Sun Belt Conference inviting both institutions to join in 2022 allowed head-to-head competition in all sports to resume and the rivalry to be forged.
The Royal Rivalry trophy will be awarded in the fall at the Oct. 28 football matchup between the two schools in Harrisonburg. Royal Rivalry points are awarded for head-to-head competition or for the best finish in mutual conference championship events in sports where head-to-head competition does not occur. Half points are granted in case of a tie. Both regular season and postseason matches are included in head-to-head calculations.
Highlights of JMU's victory in year one of the rivalry include:
- A 5-0 record in basketball matchups (men's and women's).
- A 37-3 football victory at Old Dominion, clinching a winning record in JMU's first FBS season.
- Higher finishes at championship events for swimming & diving and men's golf.
- Winning a first-round, single-elimination game in the Sun Belt baseball championship, one week after winning a key series in mid-May with Sun Belt standings on the line.
- A win in the Sun Belt women's basketball semifinals to advance to the title game.
- A pair of three-set volleyball wins.
- A 16-2 lopsided victory in lacrosse.
TowneBank has agreed to an initial three-year commitment to sponsor the challenge, a partnership secured by LEARFIELD's JMU Sports Properties and Playfly's ODU Sports Properties.
2022-2023 TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge Results:
| SPORT | DATE | RESULT | JMU | ODU |
| Field Hockey | 9/2 | ODU 6-1 | 0 | 1 |
| Women's Soccer | 9/22 | JMU 1-0 | 1 | 0 |
| Men's Soccer | 9/25 | Tied 0-0 | .5 | .5 |
| Volleyball | 10/7 | JMU 3-0 | 1 | 0 |
| Volleyball | 10/8 | JMU 3-0 | 1 | 0 |
| Swimming & Diving | 10/8 | JMU 210-83 | 1 | 0 |
| Women's Soccer | 11/6 | ODU 4-3 (OT) | 0 | 1 |
| Football | 11/12 | JMU 37-3 | 1 | 0 |
| Women's Basketball | 12/31 | JMU 68-54 | 1 | 0 |
| Men's Basketball | 2/2 | JMU 78-73 | 1 | 0 |
| Men's Basketball | 2/16 | JMU 76-67 | 1 | 0 |
| Women's Basketball | 2/18 | JMU 73-68 OT | 1 | 0 |
| Swimming & Diving | 2/15-18 | JMU 2nd, ODU 7th | 1 | 0 |
| Women's Basketball | 3/5 | JMU 70-64 | 1 | 0 |
| Lacrosse | 4/1 | JMU 16-2 | 1 | 0 |
| Women's Tennis | 4/8 | Canceled | -- | -- |
| Men's Tennis | 4/15 | ODU 5-2 | 0 | 1 |
| Women's Golf | 4/16-18 | ODU 7th, JMU 8th | 0 | 1 |
| Men's Tennis | 4/20 | ODU 4-0 | 0 | 1 |
| Men's Golf | 4/24-27 | JMU t-8th, ODU 14th | 1 | 0 |
| Women's Tennis | 4/30 | ODU 4-0 | 0 | 1 |
| Baseball | 5/12 | JMU 25-6 | 1 | 0 |
| Baseball | 5/13 | JMU 6-4 | 1 | 0 |
| Baseball | 5/14 | ODU 8-5 (11) | 0 | 1 |
| Baseball | 5/22 | JMU 2-1 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 16.5 | 7.5 |
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