VCU expresses interest in acquiring City Stadium

[jcmanson]

Football team to follow?

[TwinTownBisonFan]

here's to more football.


edit:

you changed the thread... i took your word for it... i'm so disillusioned...

[jcmanson]

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011 ... ar-894609/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ODUalum11]

I will probably be the only ODU fan to say this but part of me actually wants VCU to get football. While they are enjoying their run through the NCAA tournament right now as they should I think a bunch of them are in denial and would love to see their school build a football program sooner or later.

[Rob Iola]

Won't. Happen.

See Mason, George.

[93henfan]

The more Virginia teams the merrier. Keep 'em coming boys. GMU, get on it too. Washington and Lee, wanna get back on the bandwagon?

[ODUalum11]

Won't. Happen.

See Mason, George.

I dont see it happening either. But I do I think sooner or later they won't have a choice and will have to strongly consider it and put it to a vote instead of just talking about it here and there. I think as more and more schools add football such as UTSA, Stetson, UNC-C, and so on they might get left behind and will be stuck in the CAA forever, or at least until the CAA is no more. I think everybody knows that this massive conference realignment isn't over yet and if VCU doesn't have football I dont see them getting any invite to a bigger conference. Same with George Mason.

[89Hen]

Is there anything played at City now that the Spiders have moved? If not, I can see that thing looking like one of the Olympic stadiums in Athens pretty darn quick. It honestly wasn't far from it when the Spiders were playing there.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Is there anything played at City now that the Spiders have moved? If not, I can see that thing looking like one of the Olympic stadiums in Athens pretty darn quick. It honestly wasn't far from it when the Spiders were playing there.

Isn't because the Spiders couldn't draw flies? (bad pun not intended)

can Virginia folk clarify this for me? my hunch is that VCU is (like Mason) a commuter school with little identity... is this right? football won't fix that... dorms will.

[89Hen]

can Virginia folk clarify this for me? my hunch is that VCU is (like Mason) a commuter school with little identity... is this right? football won't fix that... dorms will.

Used to be that way.

[∞∞∞]

can Virginia folk clarify this for me? my hunch is that VCU is (like Mason) a commuter school with little identity... is this right? football won't fix that... dorms will.

Actually, GMU, VCU, and ODU were reclassified as residential universities last year which now means every 4-year public school in VA is a residential university. In my opinion, the problem with VCU is that it's primarily an arts school. Now I'm not bashing art majors, but it's not exactly the highest paying major out there and it reflects in the amount of donations VCU gets, which is nearly at the bottom of the CAA despite VCU being the largest university in the CAA. Also, they're stuck in this basketball mentality and the many I've talked to are afraid football would take away from their successful basketball program. So no, I don't think the school has little identity because I certainly think basketball has brought VCU and the Richmond community together over these last few years. It's just the demographics of their primary student base that's holding them back right now, and they don't want anything to intrude on basketball.

[JMUDuke2002]

can Virginia folk clarify this for me? my hunch is that VCU is (like Mason) a commuter school with little identity... is this right? football won't fix that... dorms will.

Actually, GMU, VCU, and ODU were reclassified as residential universities last year which now means every 4-year public school in VA is a residential university. In my opinion, the problem with VCU is that it's primarily an arts school. Now I'm not bashing art majors, but it's not exactly the highest paying major out there and it reflects in the amount of donations VCU gets, which is nearly at the bottom of the CAA despite VCU being the largest university in the CAA. Also, they're stuck in this basketball mentality and the many I've talked to are afraid football would take away from their successful basketball program. So no, I don't think the school has little identity because I certainly think basketball has brought VCU and the Richmond community together over these last few years. It's just the demographics of their primary student base that's holding them back right now, and they don't want anything to intrude on basketball.

Just because a classification changed, doesn't mean they still aren't a commuter school. ODU, no. VCU, kind of still trying to shed that label. Mason, yes, still a commuter school.

Far be it for me to defend the toilet that is VCU, but they are more than art. They have an excellent art program but they also have medical, pharmacy, and dental schools. The school is doing wonders for downtown Richmond. Unfortunately, unlike Mason, VCU sacrificed quality for growth. But, in my experience, VCU is filled with Richmond people who couldn't or didn't want to leave home.

The biggest problem for VCU getting football is the bonehead for a university president they have right now. With the unprecedented tuition hike from the past year and the governer b!tch slapped they received, they're going to be hard pressed to justify the expenses and increases in student fees that would be necessary to have football, at this time. I think in 10 years, maybe. But, I have to agree they still have a provincial attitude regarding football and their focus on BB.

[El_Cid_99]

Native Richmonder here.. Grew up within a short bike ride of UofR's campus...and my mom got her doctorate at VCU, so I'm very familiar with both schools/campuses/students..

in my experience, one glance at the UR parking lot would tell you all you needed to know about the student body...nothing but license plates from New Jersey and Connecticut... Combine their lack of football enthusiasm with the often draconian tailgating policies at City Stadium and it is easy to understand why they didn't support the football team.

JMUDuke made a great point that VCU, on the other hand, is full of actual Richmonders. True, there are lots of artsy types, but there also lots of average local types who either stayed home for undergrad or went away and came back for grad school.

I was happy to see UR finally get an on-campus stadium, and I think that VCU could definitely make a program work at City Stadium, but I guess that the budget and the economy will have the biggest impact on that decision in the near term.

[ODUalum11]

I really think sooner or later VCU will decide to build a football program. It's just a question of "when?" Seeing how much revenue football brings in they have to be at least somewhat interested.

[89Hen]

Seeing how much revenue football brings in they have to be at least somewhat interested.

You do know that almost all the teams in I-AA lose money on football, don't you?

[ODUalum11]

Seeing how much revenue football brings in they have to be at least somewhat interested.

You do know that almost all the teams in I-AA lose money on football, don't you?

good point. Regardless, I still think it would thrive at VCU. Others have mentioned how Richmond couldn't sell out their games in previous years....Richmond can't even sell out or at least get a decent crowd to a majority of their basketball games as well. Meanwhile VCU draws great crowds for all of their games.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

You do know that almost all the teams in I-AA lose money on football, don't you?

good point. Regardless, I still think it would thrive at VCU. Others have mentioned how Richmond couldn't sell out their games in previous years....Richmond can't even sell out or at least get a decent crowd to a majority of their basketball games as well. Meanwhile VCU draws great crowds for all of their games.

given that VCU is a public school, given that unlike UR, VCU appears to be where Virginians go to school, you could make the case that they could draw well enough to justify a program - more to the point, creating a program that would be "richmonds team" could be lucrative given the market size... sort of how ODU appears to be VA Beach/Norfolk's team...

that said - it could easily go the other way and be an unsupported shit show

[ODUsmitty]

There are financial implications beyond just securing Shitty Stadium.

Imagine the cost to VCU athletics to wrap all of the stadium seats in plastic non-permeable coating to ensure that the grease, grime, filth and bacteria found on the unbathed VCU student body (commonly known as the human petri-dish) does not cause a MRSA epidemic for anyone attending VCU games.

Such precautions would be necessary to prevent Richmond from becoming the first leper colony in over 100 years in a developed nation.

Take a soiled baby diaper and insert in your running shoes after completing a marathon. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and let set for 2 weeks. Open and inhale. Now walk past the VCU student body during a basketball game and notice the similarity of the "bouquet". 'nuff said.

[89Hen]

You do know that almost all the teams in I-AA lose money on football, don't you?

good point. Regardless, I still think it would thrive at VCU. Others have mentioned how Richmond couldn't sell out their games in previous years....Richmond can't even sell out or at least get a decent crowd to a majority of their basketball games as well. Meanwhile VCU draws great crowds for all of their games.

The other problem is that not only do most football progams lose money, but you'd have to put in 2-3 women's teams thanks to Title IX and we know they are pure money drags. Right now VCU has:

Women's Sports
Basketball
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Soccer
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball

So you're looking at having to add a combination of: Softball, Lacrosse, Golf, Crew...

I honestly don't know how schools can add scholarship football these days. You guys are obviously one exception thanks to your incredible support you've already built. What was added on the women's side at ODU?

[∞∞∞]

I honestly don't know how schools can add scholarship football these days. You guys are obviously one exception thanks to your incredible support you've already built. What was added on the women's side at ODU?

ODU added women's rowing and was supposed to have softball this upcoming season and volleyball by 2015. But a few days ago, Dr. Selig came out and said that ODU is thinking about going full scholarship on rowing (up to 70). I imagine that's cheaper than having to start two completely new sports.

[89Hen]

I honestly don't know how schools can add scholarship football these days. You guys are obviously one exception thanks to your incredible support you've already built. What was added on the women's side at ODU?

ODU added women's rowing and was supposed to have softball this upcoming season and volleyball by 2015. But a few days ago, Dr. Selig came out and said that ODU is thinking about going full scholarship on women's rowing (up to 70). I imagine that'd be cheaper than having to start two completely new sports.

70 women for crew? Damn, my daughter is in the wrong sport.

[VBR_Productions]

Here's an update on City Stadium. A private developer provided plans of what it wants to do with the area in question but denied having immediate plans to submit a bid to acquire the land.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news ... ar-926711/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rob Iola]

There are financial implications beyond just securing Shitty Stadium.

Imagine the cost to VCU athletics to wrap all of the stadium seats in plastic non-permeable coating to ensure that the grease, grime, filth and bacteria found on the unbathed VCU student body (commonly known as the human petri-dish) does not cause a MRSA epidemic for anyone attending VCU games.

Such precautions would be necessary to prevent Richmond from becoming the first leper colony in over 100 years in a developed nation.

Take a soiled baby diaper and insert in your running shoes after completing a marathon. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and let set for 2 weeks. Open and inhale. Now walk past the VCU student body during a basketball game and notice the similarity of the "bouquet". 'nuff said.

Having been to both the ODU hood and the VCU hood, I can credibly state that the ODU bouquet is by far the more robust. ODU wins hands down when it comes to "really really scary, and that's just during the day" and "hundred million dollar rain shelter from the dorm to class" (cue all of Springfield, er, Norfolk, chanting "monorail") and most "don't cut class" posters...

And then there's Harrisonburg...

[henfan]

It's a pure hunch but I suspect that VCU will end up with City Stadium and, if that happens, it will just be a matter of time before they renovate and add a D-I FB program.

Area residents appear not to support the redevelopment that's being pushed by the Fulton Hill group. Even the city councilwoman for the area supports keeping the stadium. I suppose it a devil you know vs. devil you don't know situation for many of them.

At this point, funding to purchase and renovate the property is another huge obstacle for both private developers and VCU.

[Mike Johnson]

Just wondering what a final four appearance by VCU might do for the sports fans of the school. The school is going to be getting more money than they expected.