VMI Keydets football
The VMI Keydets football team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. The Keydets compete in the Southern Conference of the NCAA Division I FCS, and are coached by Danny Rocco, named head coach on December 3, 2022. VMI plays their home contests at 10,000-seat Alumni Memorial Field, as they have since 1962.
VMI Keydets football
1873
Danny Rocco
1st season, 5–6 (.455)
Foster Stadium
(capacity: 10,000)
1962[1]
485–718–42 (.406)
6–18 (.250)
SoCon: 8 (2020)
Red, white, and yellow[2]
"The Spirit"
Moe the Kangaroo
Historically VMI's biggest rival was Virginia Tech. Today, VMI's biggest rival is The Citadel, as the two teams have battled 72 times, with The Citadel leading the series 40–30–2. The series was dubbed "The Military Classic of the South" in 1976 as a reference to the two school's status as the last two remaining all-military schools in the south, a region once rich with military colleges.[3] The winner of each game receives an award known as the Silver Shako. The Silver Shako has been held by VMI since 2019. The last contest occurred on April 17, 2021.
In addition to The Citadel, VMI has minor rivalries with William & Mary and Richmond. The Tribe and the Keydets first met in 1908, and William & Mary leads that series 52–33–2. VMI's competition with Richmond goes back farther, to just their third year of existence (1893). Richmond has won 41 games to VMI's 40, and the teams have tied five times. Also, the Keydets have played Virginia and Virginia Tech 82 and 79 times, respectively.
Championships[edit]
Bowl games[edit]
The Keydets have six wins and 18 losses in 24 minor bowl games. This includes nine Tobacco Bowls and 15 Oyster Bowls.
VMI chose a kangaroo to represent the school as a mascot in 1947, when two cheerleaders saw one on a magazine cover and thought how "uncommon the animal was as a mascot".[11] Originally the kangaroo was named TD Bound, but later changed to Moe at an unknown time. VMI is one of four colleges with a marsupial mascot. Zippy of Akron is the one other school with a kangaroo mascot.
Around 20 minutes before VMI home games, the Corps of Cadets march from their barracks down to Foster Stadium while the regimental band plays. VMI uniquely requires every student to attend the football games from start to finish.[12]
A replica of a 1750 Howitzer cannon, "Little John" is a corps-owned cannon fired when the Keydets come on to the field, and after every VMI score and quarter end. The one currently in use was designed by Col. Cary S. Tucker. The previous one was retired to the VMI museum after the undefeated 1957 football team finished.[13]
After every point scored by The Keydets, the entire class of first-year Cadets (also known as Rats), runs down to the North end zone and does the same number of push-ups as the total number of points The Keydets have on the scoreboard.
