Amanda Knapp
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. The Rams basketball team is one of the most popular and successful sports programs at the university. The men's basketball team has competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference since the 2012-13 season. Prior to joining the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Rams competed in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Rams have enjoyed notable success in both conferences, including a CAA championship in 2007 and a Final Four run in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The women's basketball team also had a historic season in 2008-2009, finishing with a 26-7 record and advancing to their first NCAA tournament game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the basketball team | VCU Rams |
| University | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Division | Division I |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Previous Conference | Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) |
| Year of joining the Atlantic 10 Conference | 2012-13 season |
| School colours | Black and gold |
| Men's basketball team head coach | Ryan Odom |
| Women's basketball team head coach | Beth O'Boyle |
| Home ground | E.J. Wade Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center |
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What You'll Learn
VCU Rams men's basketball team history
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is one of the university's most popular and successful sports programs. The team was founded in 1968, the same year VCU was established through the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia. The first varsity basketball team was also formed in 1968 and was coached by Benny Dees.
The Rams have had notable success in their conference and on regional and national stages. They have won ten conference tournaments, including three in the Sun Belt Conference, five in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), and two in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team is currently coached by Phil Martelli Jr., who was preceded by Mike Rhoades from 2017 to 2023. Rhoades led the Rams to six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 2017 to 2023, a state record.
The Rams are best known for their historic run in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they became the first team to advance from the "First Four" to the Final Four. This was the first time the Rams had made it beyond the second round of the tournament, and they ultimately finished in the Final Four. In the 2011 tournament, the Rams defeated USC, Georgetown, Purdue, and Florida State before losing in the Elite 8.
Prior to 2011, the Rams had made nine NCAA tournament appearances but had never advanced past the second round. In 2007, the Rams achieved a school record for wins in a season, finishing 27-6, and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. They defeated Duke in the first round but lost to Pitt in the second round. In 1985, the Rams received their highest seeding in the NCAA tournament as a #2 seed in their region.
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VCU Rams women's basketball team history
The VCU Rams women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball programme that represents Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. The Rams play in the Atlantic 10 Conference, having joined in 2012. They previously competed in the CAA from 1995 to 2012.
The Rams began playing in 1974 and have made the NCAA Tournament twice (in 2009 and 2021), and the WNIT six times (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2019). In the 2008-2009 season, the team enjoyed its most successful season in history, finishing with a 26-7 overall record and a 15-3 conference record. They were perfect at home, with a 16-0 record, and finished second in their conference. This earned them a spot in their first-ever NCAA tournament game, where they were eliminated by Rutgers.
In the 2009-2010 season, head coach Beth Cunningham led the Rams to the WNIT Sweet Sixteen, where they were knocked out by the Syracuse Orange. The team is currently coached by Beth O'Boyle, who has been the head coach for ten years. In the 2022-23 season, the Rams finished with a 7-22 (4-12 Atlantic 10) record. They were the 13th seed in the 2023 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament but lost to Dayton in the first round.
VCU sponsors teams in eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports, and the women's basketball team has been one of the most successful programmes at the university.
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VCU Rams basketball team colours
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The VCU Rams basketball team is one of the most popular and successful sports programs at the university.
The VCU Rams' colours are black and gold. The CMYK colour codes are (0, 0, 0, 100) for black and (0, 30, 100, 0) for gold. The gold colour code for the Rams' logo is Pantone: PMS 130 C, Hex Colour: #FFB300, RGB: (255, 179, 0). The black colour code for the logo is Pantone: PMS Black 6 C, Hex Colour: #000000, RGB: (0, 0, 0).
The VCU Rams logo features the letters V, C, and U with a ram's horn curling out from the letter V. The logo has a white fill with a thick black and gold outline. The font used for the logo is a custom VCU Rams font, which is also used for jersey lettering, player names, and numbers.
The men's basketball team first competed in 1968, coached by Benny Dees. The current head coach is Ryan Odom. The team is best known for its Final Four run in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the first time the Rams made it beyond the second round.
The women's basketball team is coached by Beth O'Boyle. The team enjoyed its most successful season in history in 2008-2009, finishing with a 26-7 record overall and a 15-3 conference record.
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VCU Rams basketball team coaches
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams basketball team has had a succession of coaches over the years, with the men's team being the most popular and successful sports program at the university.
The first varsity basketball team was fielded in 1968, coached by Benny Dees, who led the team to two winning records. Dees was followed by Chuck Noe, and then J.D. Barnett, who led the Rams to four berths into the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, with their first coming in 1980. During Barnett's tenure, the Rams only failed to win the Sun Belt Conference twice. In 1985, the Rams, led by Jeff Capel, earned the right to compete in the NCAA tournament for the first time.
From 2009 to 2015, the Rams were coached by Shaka Smart, who had previously served as an assistant coach at various universities. In his first year, the team posted a 27-9 record and finished fifth in the conference. The Rams made it to the semi-finals of the 2010 CAA men's basketball tournament but fell to their conference rivals, Old Dominion. In 2011, the VCU Rams men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament, defeating USC, Georgetown, and Purdue to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time. They then defeated Florida State in overtime to advance to the Elite 8, making it further than ever before in the tournament.
The current coach of the VCU Rams men's basketball team is Phil Martelli Jr., who was appointed in 2025. Martelli Jr. previously coached at Bryant University, where he won 43 games and made the 2025 NCAA tournament as a 15 seed. The VCU Rams women's basketball team is coached by Beth O'Boyle. The team enjoyed its most successful season in history in 2008-2009, finishing with a 26-7 record overall and a 15-3 conference record.
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VCU Rams basketball team rankings
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as part of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is one of the most popular and successful sports programs at the university. The team first took to the court in 1968 under the guidance of coach Benny Dees. The current head coach is Ryan Odom. The Rams are known for their historic run to the Final Four of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, where they defeated USC, Georgetown, and Purdue before falling to Florida State in overtime in the Elite 8. This was the first time in school history that VCU had advanced past the second round.
In the 2007 NCAA Tournament, the Rams made headlines by upsetting Duke in the first round, thanks to Eric Maynor's buzzer-beater. They then lost to Pitt in the second round in overtime. The Rams set a school record for wins that season, finishing with a 27-6 record and going 16-2 in their conference games.
The VCU Rams women's basketball team, coached by Beth O'Boyle, also had their most successful season in history in 2008-2009, finishing with a 26-7 overall record and a perfect 15-3 conference record, including an impressive 16-0 at home. They advanced to their first-ever NCAA Tournament as the 10th seed, but were eliminated by Rutgers. In the following season, the Rams, led by head coach Beth Cunningham, reached the WNIT Sweet Sixteen before being knocked out by the Syracuse Orange.
In addition to basketball, the VCU Rams have also found success in other sports. The men's tennis team has excelled in their conference and on regional and national stages. The men's soccer team, coached by David Giffard, has reached seven NCAA Tournaments in the last 15 years, with their best finish being a quarterfinal appearance in 2004.
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Frequently asked questions
The VCU Rams are in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012-13 season.
Before joining the Atlantic 10 Conference, the VCU Rams competed in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is widely regarded as one of the most popular and successful sports programs at the university. The team has enjoyed notable success in recent years, including a Cinderella run to the Final Four in the 2011 NCAA tournament. The Rams have also won ten conference tournaments across different conferences and have consistently performed well in their respective conferences.
