The William & Mary Indians football[a] teams represented The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Now known as the William & Mary Tribe, the program was established in 1893. Their long-time football rival is the University of Richmond. Their annual meeting is dubbed the I-64 Bowl, so named for the highway connecting the two nearby schools.
a Between 1896 and 1909 their nickname was "Orange and White," deriving that name from the school's former colors (William & Mary now uses green and gold).[1] Since white uniforms dirtied too quickly, they became known as the "Orange and Black" from 1910 through 1916.[1] Between 1917 and 1977 they were known as the Indians, and throughout this period a man dressing up as a Native American would ride around on a pony along the sidelines during games.[1] This practice was discontinued when the outcry of stereotyping Native Americans as well as the use of a live animal became controversial.[1] Since the 1978 season William & Mary has adopted the nickname "Tribe."[1]
b The official 2009 William & Mary football media guide provides a list of yearly results. It mentions that W&M claimed a "Southern Title" in 1926 but did not clarify what this meant. It does not indicate the Southern Conference, however, as William & Mary did not join the conference until 1936. Since the Indians were independent from any athletic conference affiliation until that point, this "championship" is not counted toward all-time titles won.
