From 2004 to 2006, the team won three MEAC Championships and three SBN-Black College National Championships, and was ranked in the Division I FCS top 25 poll each year. The Pirates also sent five players to the NFL Combine in 2007, the most out of any FCS subdivision school for that year. They have also been dominant in tennis, winning the MEAC from 1996 to 1999, 2001–2003 and 2007 for the men, and 1998 and 2002–2004 for the women.
Major rivals include Norfolk State University, located across Hampton Roads in downtown Norfolk, and Howard University in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, Hampton revived their rivalry with Virginia Union University from Richmond, Virginia.
=== Student organizations ===
There are over 55 student organizations on campus in arts, athletics, community service, leadership, religion, and student government.
==== "The Marching Force" marching band ====
Pirate athletics are supported by a plethora of groups, including "The Marching Force" Marching Band. The marching band has appeared at several …
