The Battle of the Bay between the Hampton Pirates and the Norfolk State State Spartans is a yearly rivalry match-up in football between two HBCUs in the state of Virginia. Private Hampton University and public Norfolk State University are both located in the Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia. The two schools are located, respectively, in Hampton, Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia, across the James River from each other. As the name of the rivalry suggests, the James River empties into the Chesapeake Bay just downstream.