City: Richmond, VA

Category: Spectator Sports

Description: With 16 men’s and women’s intercollegiate teams competing in the NCAA, something sporty is almost always going on here. Winning more than 30 conference championships in just 30 years competing in Division I, VCU brings seriously talented student-athletes to town. Though soccer, baseball, and other sports draw fans, basketball is the big sport on campus here. The VCU Rams play in the Colonial Athletic Association and have thrilled fans over the years with classic March Madness in the NCAA tournament. In 2007 there was the memorable run when point guard Eric Maynor (now playing for the NBA’s Oklahoma Thunder), sunk a last-second shot to propel the basketball team past Duke University in the first round of the tournament. The Rams then took the Pittsburgh Panthers to overtime in the second round, but unfortunately were outscored. In 2009 there was a heartbreaking one-point loss to UCLA in the first round. I’m almost over it. During the regular season, the team takes to the court at Verizon Wireless Arena in the Stuart C. Siegel Center, with 7,500 screaming fans right there with them. With three CAA tournament championships, three NCAA bids, and three NIT appearances since 2004, fans expect March Madness every year. Under new coach Shaka Smart, the Rams aim to return to the top of the CAA. The VCU women’s basketball team usually plays in the postseason as well and competes every year in the CAA tournament. Single-game tickets are usually available at the Siegel Center box office, and parking in nearby garages costs $5.