Richmond celebrating its two Sweet 16 teams
RICHMOND, Va. – Has there ever been a better time for sports in Richmond?
That was the question posed Tuesday by ESPN 950 radio host Wes McElroy in Virginia’s state capital, a city abuzz after its two major universities advanced to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16.
Recommended Stories
Based on the answers, nothing even comes close. A few callers mentioned memorable NASCAR races. Another recalled the 1993 lineup of the now-defunct Richmond Braves, which included Chipper Jones and Javy Lopez.
But those pale in comparison to the madness this March in the River City. Last week, 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth and 12th-seeded Richmond combined to win NCAA games on five consecutive days. In San Antonio on Friday, the Rams play No. 10 Florida State and the Spiders face No. 1 Kansas. If they win, they would play each other in the Southwest regional final.
| Southwest Region |
| No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 12 Richmond |
| Where » Alamodome, San Antonio |
| When » Friday, 7:27 p.m. |
| TV » TBS |
| No. 10 Florida St. vs. No. 11 VCU |
| Where » Alamodome, San Antonio |
| When » Friday, 9:57 p.m. |
| TV » TBS |
“It’s the perfect storm,” said Scott Paradine, who runs T-Miller’s sports bar in the Richmond Marriott. “If they win, I can’t imagine what Sunday will be like.”
Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are the only cities that have placed two schools in the round of 16 in the same season. No city the size of Richmond, however, has accomplished the feat.
Thus, the excitement.
At the Barnes & Noble at VCU, Rams apparel was going fast. On Monday alone, the bookstore received 550 online orders for Sweet 16 T-shirts, more than it had for VCU T-shirts the entire year.
Hits on vcuathletics.com peaked at 2.5 million Monday, three times the usual traffic.
“A lot of kids were away on spring break last week,” VCU student and Alexandria native Mike Cymbalisty said. “It was actually pretty quiet. But that’s all changed.”
On Tuesday, there was a buzz and bustle on Broad Street that intensified when VCU players crossed the street from Siegel Center to their favorite lunch spot.
“All year they’ve been coming here, pretty much unnoticed,” said Amy Randolph, general manager of the VCU Barnes & Noble. “Today they had a trail of followers.”
Across town at the idyllic campus of the University of Richmond, many students were in Spiders gear, enjoying temperatures in the upper 60s.
The schools have vastly different profiles. VCU is urban and public. Richmond is a pastoral oasis on the West End, private and exclusive. VCU plays in the CAA, Richmond in the Atlantic 10.
“I think most people here root for both schools. They don’t need to choose sides,” said Mark Farley, day manager at Big Al’s sports bar. “VCU doesn’t have a football team. That’s probably why there’s not a big rivalry.”
But that could change Sunday if the two are vying for a berth in the Final Four.
