Another FCS program in the making?

[jrj1976urspider]

In yesterday's Richmond Times Dispatch there was an article that discusses Virginia Commonwealth University' (VCU) interest in purchasing from the city of Richmond, City Stadium. Could VCU football be on the horizon? Thoughts?

[89Hen]

No

[93henfan]

Dilution of the Virginia recruiting pool would not hurt my feelings.

[mcveyrl]

Dilution of the Virginia recruiting pool would not hurt my feelings.

Doesn't that just push the Va. schools into other school's territory?

The reality is that a lot of the CAA schools are recruiting in the same territory anyway, so I'm not too worried about that. My biggest concern is the possibility of having to play in Shitty Stadium again...

[jrj1976urspider]

If VCU buys the stadium I believe they would fully renovate the facility. I just wonder if they would put that Ram head logo on the 50 yard line? I guess one endzone would read Rams and the other would read VCU.The background color would be black and the lettering would be gold. Another question...Would the helmet look like the St. Louis Rams helmet? Just wondering?

[mcveyrl]

If VCU buys the stadium I believe they would fully renovate the facility. I just wonder if they would put that Ram head logo on the 50 yard line? I guess one endzone would read Rams and the other would read VCU.The background color would be black and the lettering would be gold. Another question...Would the helmet look like the St. Louis Rams helmet? Just wondering?

Good point on the renovations.

I would assume they would go with the Ram-horn design on the helmet, but who knows.

[danefan]

With ODU's success and the guaranteed entrance into the CAA, it would be stupid for VCU and GMU not to at least explore the possibility.

[89Hen]

Would the helmet look like the St. Louis Rams helmet? Just wondering?

I would assume they would go with the Ram-horn design on the helmet, but who knows.

The Helmet Project did a mock up...

[89Hen]

With ODU's success and the guaranteed entrance into the CAA, it would be stupid for VCU and GMU not to at least explore the possibility.

Mason is a no-brainer. They already have club football. They have a field right across from the main campus where they can fit a 10,000 seater and they already have the parking around the Patriot Center. The fact that they don't have football in the works is amazing to me.

BTW, I was somewhat kidding when I said "NO" earlier. It just seemed that everyone said VCU would never have football.

[ODUsmitty]

VCU would have the only stadium in all of FCS to have plastic covers over all of their seating - a necessary expense to keep the grease and grime of their unwashed, unshaven (ewes included), birkenstock-wearing students from immediately creating a slip hazard.

You know you have entered VCU territory when your clothes smell like they have been washed in a deep fat fryer and you are miles from a restaurant.......

[CAA Flagship]

If VCU buys the stadium I believe they would fully renovate the facility. I just wonder if they would put that Ram head logo on the 50 yard line? I guess one endzone would read Rams and the other would read VCU.The background color would be black and the lettering would be gold. Another question...Would the helmet look like the St. Louis Rams helmet? Just wondering?

The field, however designed, would be painted by the fingers of the student body. This they do well. They also specialize in crayon.

[CAA Flagship]

Picture this: (Seinfeld Reference)

Seinfelds = Old Dominion
Costanzas = vcu
Del Boca Vista = FCS Football

If vcu starts a football program at the FCS level, Old Dominion will move.

[ur2K]

VCU would have the only stadium in all of FCS to have plastic covers over all of their seating - a necessary expense to keep the grease and grime of their unwashed, unshaven (ewes included), birkenstock-wearing students from immediately creating a slip hazard.

You know you have entered VCU territory when your clothes smell like they have been washed in a deep fat fryer and you are miles from a restaurant.......

They are going to have to figure out how to accommodate all that bike parking as well.

[∞∞∞]

VCU is so weird to me. You go on campus, and you'd swear you were at some trashy underground art show. Yet despite everyone looking like they're a cast member of the Rocky Horror Show, they support their basketball well. It's very odd looking at their student section, as people are in fishnets, girls in bumblebee outfits, some dude in reggae clothing, and a lot of goth kids in normal VCU shirts. You'd swear you weren't at a basketball game but some $hitty halloween party; it's surreal. Yet they're loud and make for an excellent home-court advantage. Honestly, I don't know how well they can translate that in the FCS if they went in that direction, or if the support would be there.

[89Hen]

I didn't know there was so much love between ODU and VCU.

[mcveyrl]

I didn't know there was so much love between ODU and VCU.

There's a lot of love between ODU and...everybody.

[Steamin' Cleveland]

...and a lot of goth kids in normal VCU shirts.

The goth kids would never come outside to watch a football game. They are too scared of the sun. When ODU plays them, I'm going to request that a special showing of The Rocky Horror Picture show be aired at game time in the brown turd that is the Richmond Coliseum. Now they are stuck with the reggae guy and the bumblebee girl as their 2 fans.

Anyway, I don't know much about City Stadium. How many does it seat currently? How close is it to VCU? How close is it to the ghetto? (damn, same question) Is it nice? Does it have the potential to be nice?

[Bostonspider]

City Stadium is old old old. Built in 1929, it seats about 22,000 people. The neighborhood is lower income, but certainly not ghetto. I would think VCU would have to spend a fair amount to fix it up, if the City would sell the stadium to them, which they never seemed to offer to do for UR.

[ODUsmitty]

City Stadium is old, obsolete, uncomfortable, and in poor condition.

It would make a great home for VCU.

[henfan]

VCU would be crazy not to purchase the stadium, assuming that's the offer, even if they don't do a FB start-up. They're not making land anymore, especially in that sizable a chunk and that close to the VCU campus. No matter how you slice it, City Stadium is a 20K+-seat stadium that could be renovated in stages. There are a lot of FCS programs who would kill to have a stadium of that size, even considering that it needs updates.

That said, VCU and GMU are probably re-evaluating their positions on FB in light of ODU's early success with the sport. From the VCU president's comments several months back, it appears that VCU will be taking a serious look at FB in 2011.

[bandl]

It's been said before, but GMU has a SHIT-TON of land. West of 123 all the way to Shirley Gate. They already have some practice fields out that ways. If any school has the means (student body size, tuition $, available land, a ton of local support in the burbs) it's GMU.

[henfan]

It's been said before, but GMU has a ****-TON of land. West of 123 all the way to Shirley Gate. They already have some practice fields out that ways. If any school has the means (student body size, tuition $, available land, a ton of local support in the burbs) it's GMU.

I'd agree that FB at Mason would appear to be a no-brainer.

Their now outdated Athletic Facilities Master Plan from 2002 accounted for a 15K-seat stadium in the area you indicated, on the west side of campus. It's an existing practice field off of Braddock Road, near Rapidan River Road.

CAA FB didn't set the 2017 admission date for existing Colonial Athletic Association schools for no reason. It was established to give GMU and VCU time to get their FB programs up and running.

[T-Dog]

I'd prefer if VCU bought it and razed it to make a parking deck.

That way, we'd be assured that the last ever football game there was an App State victory.

[ur2K]

I'd prefer if VCU bought it and razed it to make a parking deck.

That way, we'd be assured that the last ever football game there was an App State victory.

We held our spring game there, so there

[henfan]

Though it's unlikely to happen, JMU could end up playing a home game at City Stadium this year if the Dukes make the playoffs.