WILLIAMSBURG — William & Mary is riding a signature win into a milestone home opener. The Tribe stunned then-No. 7 Villanova 35-32 on the road Aug. 28, scoring 13 points in the final 53 seconds to erase a 10-point deficit. Kicker Max Lipinski capped the rally with a 45-yard field goal as time expired, and William & Mary recovered an ensuing onside kick to seal the program’s first road win over a top-10 opponent since 2021.
That momentum carries into William & Mary’s Sept. 5 home opener against Delaware State, a 6 p.m. kickoff at Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field that will include a pregame tribute ceremony and video board features honoring former coach Lou Holtz.
Holtz’s son, Skip Holtz, who has been head coach at Connecticut, East Carolina, South Florida and Louisiana Tech, is expected to attend along with family members. Holtz, who died on March 4, got his start in coaching at William & Mary in 1969 at age 32. He led the Tribe through the 1971 season before moving on to North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota and Notre Dame, where he won the 1988 national championship.
The game is also William & Mary’s first Patriot League home opener. It’s designated the program’s “Go Green Game” and will be preceded by a free alumni tailgate.
Fans will also see a change at the concession stands. William & Mary, working with W&M Dining and Aramark, has gone cashless at concessions for all home athletic events for the 2026-27 academic year. Stands will take major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Cash won’t be accepted, and reverse ATMs won’t be set up at athletics venues — so fans without a card or mobile payment option won’t be able to buy concessions.
