ESPN's Katz says Creighton a "wise choice"

[Bostonspider]

I think Richmond would be "all in" in that they will dedicate the resources required to be great. No one can every guarantee that recruits or coaching hires will work out, but as long as the school will do all they can financially, and with the most administrative support possible, then I am not sure you can ask for anything more. Richmond, while it does has FCS football, certainly will put its focus on the men's basketball team, and do what is needed to ensure their success, from renovating the arena, building the practice facilities to paying what is necessary to get the best coach possible, and giving him the recruiting budget he needs. Richmond has always spent at the top level of the A10 and the CAA before that, so the finanical committment is there, and will grow in the C-7. They are renovating the Robins Center. They are building a practice facility. They fly charter flights to all their distant away games. There is a reason that Bobinski (Xavier AD) and Jim Miller (Richmond AD) were close allies in the A10, they both thought a like and were willing to do what they needed to have the best athletic departments they could. Miller is now VP of Athletics, but UR picked Keith Gill to follow his footsteps and I think RIchmond is primed for success. As for attendance, UR does only have 2,800 undergrads, but when the Spiders play the better opponents, the fans come out. Averaging over 8,600 (in a 9.071 seat arena) over the last three home games (UNCC, VCU and Xavier).

[Natty]

Creighton can't be added without St Louis. And it doesnt really seem like St Louis is all that desired. Given the initial bias towards 10 teams and given they don't require a pair, I think it will be Richmond joining Butler and Xavier

It does seem more reasonable to add one of the Richmond schools, but if they decide they want Creighton in a 10 team conference I'm all for it. Not holding my breath.

Honest question to the VCU / Richmond folks- is Richmond U "all in" on basketball as Katz says the C7 is looking for? Their attendance figures would lead me to think they are not.

I think UofRs athletics department is certainly all in, but the problem with Richmond--and I think any honest Spider fan would admit--is the fan support often just isn't there, and what is often there, is of the sitting on hands type of older crowd.

Very small student population who are EXTREMELY fairweather, and I know this up close and personal having interned in the marketing and ticketing department while I was finishing up a grad degree at VCU. I was there the first season they built their new on campus football arena. Fans would show up for the games then leave at halftime, and that isn't an exaggeration (and let me also add they were coming off a recent FCS National Championship).

Go over to SpiderNation.com and just check out the posts. You'll see TONS of posts from their fans on how bad their atmosphere and support are.

The problem with Richmond, as I've said before, is you add UofR and you get MAYBE the fourth most popular hoops team in their own city (1.VCU 2a.UVA 2b.VA Tech...and I'm not sure they beat out UNC, ODU or Mason).

[yorost]

What nobody has convinced me of is that VCU's fan base is any different. From what I've read on other forums Richmond leads VCU in attendance average almost as much as VCU leads Richmond. Can a VCU fan tell us how long the game day atmosphere has been like this? If it's been like this pretty consistently over the last 10-20 years I'd feel better about VCU, but if it's only a recent development it's hard to put a lot of faith in it.

[Bostonspider]

Well Natty I am not sure you have enough history with the Spiders And Rams. Over the last 20 or so years, the Spiders and Rams have outdrawn the other each about half the time. When one is hot and good, they draw better. One one is down, they draw worse. Richmond can easily be the team of the western party of the city and the families in the suburbs. If UR is bringing in name games versus the C7 and Butler and Xavier, they will draw crowds like they have versus Xavier, Charlotte and Dayton over the years. UR has the resources to compete at a higher level. I am not sure VCU actually does. How much higher can they actually raise the student fees???

[yorost]

If VCU were invited I wouldn't worry about their ability to have a high level of support for basketball. It's not about student fees.

[Bostonspider]

The only way they could afford to pay to keep Smart after the Final Four was to raise the Student Fees a fair amount. Over the past five years 75 - 80% of VCU's athletic revenue has come from Student Fees.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/colonial/2011-05-24-vcu-fees-smart_N.htm

[yorost]

Their AD will have an influx of money if they join the BE7. The finances during the CAA days don't really matter. Any team joining the conference will be able to have a stronger AD, which is why there isn't a lot of question as to whether teams would agree to join or not.

[Natty]

Well Natty I am not sure you have enough history with the Spiders And Rams. Over the last 20 or so years, the Spiders and Rams have outdrawn the other each about half the time. When one is hot and good, they draw better. One one is down, they draw worse. Richmond can easily be the team of the western party of the city and the families in the suburbs. If UR is bringing in name games versus the C7 and Butler and Xavier, they will draw crowds like they have versus Xavier, Charlotte and Dayton over the years. UR has the resources to compete at a higher level. I am not sure VCU actually does. How much higher can they actually raise the student fees???

Bostonspider, I like you, really appreciate your posts on here and Ram Nation, but just a couple of quick points:

1) "If UR is bringing in name games versus the C7 and Butler and Xavier, they will draw crowds like they have versus Xavier, Charlotte and Dayton over the years." - VCU doesn't have to bring in the name games to draw a crowd. Perfect example: Richmond v Stetson drew 4,672 this season for a Saturday night game (Spiders were 9-2 at that point, 7-0 at the Robins Center). VCU SOLD OUT (7,693) a home game against Stetson on a Wednesday night (and the Rams have sold out 31 consecutive home games, and that PREDATES their Final 4 birth). Both teams are two years removed from their best seasons--Richmond went to the Sweet 16 in 2011, VCU to the Final 4.

2) "UR has the resources to compete at a higher level. I am not sure VCU actually does." - I don't know how much Chris Mooney makes, but I know Shaka Smart is pulling in $1.2 million...and that was a contract he got when he was coaching IN THE CAA. You think playing in a league with more tournament money is going to hurt that? I would venture to guess Shaka is making more money than most, if not all of the current coaches in the Atlantic 10, and I know for a fact he's making more money than a TON of BCS coaches. VCU also recently added luxury suites and 200 seats to the Siegel Center and have a brand new practice facility in the works. If there's one thing you can't question, it's VCU's financial commitment to hoops.

Fan support has been strong at VCU for some time now, but anyone around VCU and the city of Richmond knows we are at a whole new level now post Final 4. If we weren't as good would that drop some? Perhaps. But can you not make that argument for every single school in college basketball? I mean, why add Butler...Coach Stevens could leave and they could suck eventually, right? Because you take the best teams you can get RIGHT NOW. Richmond is averaging 4955 fans at home this year (and that's with a huge boost from VCU fans who filled about half the arena at our game this season). The last attendance figures available to me through CAASports.com are from the '05-'06 season, a full season before Eric Maynor hit that shot to beat Duke. Even then VCU averaged 5369 fans.

With all due respect to my friends at Richmond (and yes, I have some), the ONLY thing Richmond has over VCU in any of this is that they are a private school. Fan support, facilities, Q rating, you name it...VCU has the advantage in everything else.

For what it's worth I wish both schools were invited (wish it was a 16-team league like this season's A-10 or Big East), but apparently that doesn't look it's going to be the case.

[gmoser1210]

Plus, Richmond has lacrosse and women's swimming, if that's taken into account.

Also, Brad Stevens is also pulling down $1.2M, fyi.

[Bostonspider]

I think Mooney and Mack are both making similar just over $1 million money..