The College of William & Mary has transitioned through several official nicknames since its athletic program began in 1893.

The William & Mary Tribe football team had sustained success during Jimmye Laycock's tenure.

The long-time head-coach led the Tribe to multiple playoff appearances, including the national semifinal game on two occasions.

As of 2022, the Richmond Spiders and Delaware Blue Hens are still football members of the Colonial Athletic Association with William & Mary.

William & Mary also maintains older, less intense rivalries with the VMI Keydets from its days in the Southern Conference, and the Virginia Cavaliers as part of the unofficial Jefferson Cup, named after Thomas Jefferson, who attended the College of William & Mary before founding the University of Virginia.

[2] The Tribe holds non-conference rivalries against the Old Dominion Monarchs and the James Madison Dukes of the Sun Belt Conference, both competing in CAA Football before joining the FBS in 2014 and 2022, respectively.