VCU Rams
| VCU Rams | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Ed McLaughlin |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
| Varsity teams | 16 |
| Basketball arena | Stuart C. Siegel Center |
| Baseball stadium | The Diamond |
| Soccer stadium | Sports Backers Stadium |
| Mascot | Rodney The Ram |
| Nickname | Rams |
| Colors | Black and Gold |
| Website | www |
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University of Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The most successful teams have been the men's tennis and basketball teams, which have had success in their conference and on the regional and national stages. The school's colors are black and gold. The athletic director is Ed McLaughlin. The official student supporter group is known as the Rowdy Rams.
A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, Virginia Commonwealth University sponsors teams in eight men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
Men's Intercollegiate Sports
Women's Intercollegiate Sports
The Virginia Commonwealth University men's basketball team is widely regarded as one of the most popular and successful sports programs at the university. The first varsity basketball team was fielded in 1968, and coached by Benny Dees. The present head coach is Will Wade, who replaced Shaka Smart for the 2015-16 season. Smart, who led the team to their first Final Four in 2011, left for the University of Texas.
In the 2011 NCAA tournament, VCU qualified as an at-large bid, having to play in the newly formatted tournament's "First Four" against USC. The decision to allow VCU to participate in the tournament was widely criticized among pundits and the media. VCU defeated USC 59–46 in the "First Four" play-in game. VCU then went on to upset Georgetown 74–56 in the round of 64. The 11th-seeded VCU Rams then upset 3rd-seeded Purdue 94–76 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. In the sweet sixteen, VCU defeated 10th-seeded Florida State 72–71 on a last second bucket in overtime to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. VCU beat #1 seeded Kansas in the Southwest Regional final by a score of 71–61. It was the Rams' first trip to the Final Four. Against Butler in the Final Four, VCU lost 70–62, ending "one of the greatest Cinderella stories of all time." The VCU Rams finished 6th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at the end of the season. This was the highest ranking in VCU's history and the highest ranking of any team from the CAA.
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