Sports in Richmond, Virginia

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Richmond, Virginia, United States, is home to three professional sports teams, though none of which compete in any major professional league. Virginia is the most populated state without a major sports team. [1] In 2008, the Richmond Braves minor league baseball team left for Gwinnett County, Georgia, and was replaced by the Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2010. But now, the Flying Squirrels' owner has threatened to leave Richmond if they do not replace their current stadium, the Diamond. The Richmond Kickers are a non-profit soccer team that plays at City Stadium.

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The Diamond is home to the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League. The Diamond Outfield.JPG
The Diamond is home to the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League.

Richmond has also come into the national spotlight in recent years due to the success of the region's two Division I college basketball teams, the VCU Rams and Richmond Spiders. The VCU Rams men's basketball team reached the Final Four of the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, while the Richmond Spiders men's basketball team reached the Sweet 16 of the same tournament.

As of 2016, Richmond is also home to its first women's sports team, the Richmond Black Widows. They are in the Women's Football Alliance and play at Hovey Field. The expansion team plays in Tier III of the Women's Football Alliance and is the National Conference Champion.

The Washington Football Team hold training camp in Richmond every year. [2]

Professional teams

ClubLeagueSportVenue (capacity)Established
Richmond Flying Squirrels Eastern League Baseball The Diamond (9,500)2010[ citation needed ]
Richmond Kickers USL League One Soccer City Stadium (22,600)1993

College sports

SchoolConferenceNCAA DivisionVenues
Richmond Spiders Atlantic 10 Conference (most sports),
Colonial Athletic Association (football)
Division I Robins Stadium (football),
Robins Center (basketball),
Malcolm U. Pitt Field (baseball)
VCU Rams Atlantic 10 Conference Division I Siegel Center (basketball),
The Diamond (baseball),
Sports Backers Stadium (soccer)
Virginia Union Panthers Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Division II Hovey Field (football)

Participation sports

Richmond has played host to the Xterra (off-road triathlon) East Championship since 1998 on the trails of the James River Park, and will host the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. [3] [4]

Sports Backers is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 and located in Richmond, Virginia at Sports Backers Stadium. The mission of the Sports Backers has expanded from its beginnings as a traditional sports commission for economic development to be focused on increasing physical activity to improve the health of area residents. The Sports Backers own Dominion Riverrock, [5] the largest outdoor sports and music festival in the country, [6] the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, the 8th largest running race in the United States, [7] and the Anthem Richmond Marathon, the 18th largest marathon in the country. [8] The organization owns and produces 15 events.

Former teams

Richmond has hosted several minor pro hockey teams since the 1970s. The American Hockey League Richmond Robins played at the Richmond Coliseum from 1971 to 1976. The short-lived Eastern Hockey League's Richmond affiliate was the Richmond Rifles. The longest-lived and most successful of Richmond's hockey teams were the Richmond Renegades of the East Coast Hockey League, who played at the Coliseum from 1990 to 2003. [9] After a brief stay by the Richmond RiverDogs of the United Hockey League from 2003 to 2006, former Renegades owner Allen Harvie attempted to revive the team again as a Southern Professional Hockey League franchise from 2006 to 2009. [10] After the SPHL club left, hockey has been represented in Richmond by the junior and youth United States Premier Hockey League organization Richmond Generals at SkateNation Plus in Henrico County.

The Richmond Raiders, an indoor football team, played out of the Richmond Coliseum from 2010 until 2015 when it suspended operations. In 2016, the Raiders' ownership announced they would not return. The Richmond Revolution of the Indoor Football League played at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center in 2010 and 2011. [11] [12] The Revolution had been planning to SportsQuest before they disbanded. The Richmond Roughriders played out of the Richmond Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, hosted the league championship games both years, but did not re-sign their lease when the Coliseum proposed a complete renovation for 2019. [13]

There has been minor league baseball at the corner of the Boulevard and Robin Hood Road since 1954. In 1954, the International League Baltimore Orioles moved to Richmond as the Richmond Virginians, playing at Parker Field. The Virginians were part of the New York Yankees' organization for most of their time in Richmond. After the 1964 season, the team moved to Toledo, Ohio, as the Toledo Mud Hens. After a year off, the city was the beneficiary of the Milwaukee Braves' move to Atlanta, as the Braves' International League franchise, the Atlanta Crackers, moved to Richmond for the 1966 season as the Richmond Braves. The Braves played at Parker Field through 1984, after which the old ballpark was torn down and replaced with the concrete-and-steel "temporary" facility, The Diamond. The Braves left Richmond after the 2008 season to return to the Atlanta area as the Gwinnett Braves.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia)</span> Baseball stadium in Richmond, Virginia, United States

The Diamond is a baseball stadium located in Richmond, Virginia, USA, on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. It is the home of Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League and the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team. From 1985 to 2008, it was the home of the Richmond Braves, the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The Diamond seats 12,134 people for baseball; however, for Flying Squirrels games, advertising banners cover up the top rows of the upper deck, reducing seating capacity to 9,560.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Coliseum</span> Arena in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Coliseum is a defunct arena located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, with a capacity of 13,500 that was most often used for various large concerts. The arena opened in 1971 and the region is looking to replace the aging facility with a larger one. The arena was quietly shuttered in February 2019 while new proposed replacements are in development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lubbock Municipal Coliseum</span> Former arena in Lubbock, Texas, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berglund Center</span>

Berglund Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1971 and is currently the home of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL. The arena also hosts Virginia Tech, Radford University and Roanoke College men's ice hockey games, as well as regular concerts and other large indoor events. The arena is also the home of the annual boys basketball games between Roanoke's two city high schools, Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Indoor Football</span> Former professional indoor football league

American Indoor Football (AIF) is a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.

The Richmond Arena was a multipurpose indoor sports facility located in and owned by the city of Richmond, Virginia. It was located south of Parker Field, between Boulevard and Hermitage Road.

The Las Vegas metropolitan area is home to many sports, most of which take place in the unincorporated communities around Las Vegas rather than in the city itself. Currently, the Las Vegas Valley has three major league professional teams: the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL), which began play in 2017 as the region's first major pro team, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) which began play in 2020 after relocating from Oakland, California, and the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) plan to move to Las Vegas in 2025 to play at a new ballpark which is estimated to be complete by 2028. Should this relocation take place when planned, Las Vegas will have progressed from being the largest market in the U.S. with no teams in the men's major professional leagues to being one of the smallest market with at least three such teams within less than a decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Dominion Monarchs</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Old Dominion University

The Old Dominion Monarchs are composed of 18 intercollegiate athletic teams representing Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, sailing, soccer, swimming, and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, golf, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, rowing, and volleyball. The Monarchs compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are members of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC); the university joined the conference on July 1, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VCU Rams</span> University athletic teams in Virginia, US

The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University of Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The most successful teams have been the men's tennis and basketball teams, which have had success in their conference and on the regional and national stages. The school's colors are black and gold. The athletic director is Ed McLaughlin. The official student supporter group is known as the Rowdy Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Norfolk, Virginia</span>

There are several professional minor-league sports teams as well as college sports teams in the Norfolk, Virginia area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VCU Rams men's basketball</span> Mens basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University

The VCU Rams men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012–13 season after previously competing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In 2017, VCU was ranked the 40th most valuable men's basketball program in the country by The Wall Street Journal. With a valuation of $56.9 million, VCU ranked second in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and second in the A-10 Conference. The team is coached by Ryan Odom.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Raiders</span>

The Richmond Raiders were a professional indoor football team located in Richmond, Virginia the Richmond Coliseum as their home arena. The Raiders began play in the 2010 as an expansion team of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). The Raiders moved to the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) when the Eastern Division of the AIFA merged with the SIFL in the winter of 2010, beginning SIFL play in the 2011 season. After just a single season in the SIFL the Raiders, along with four other members of the SIFL, became the charter members of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The team was then a member the PIFL from 2012 to 2015.

The 2011 CAA men's basketball tournament was held March 4–7 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA to crown a champion of the Colonial Athletic Association. Old Dominion, the runner up in the regular season, beat the fourth seeded VCU in the final taking them into the NCAA tournament with conferences automatic bid. Old Dominion, George Mason, and VCU each participated in the NCAA tournament, with George Mason and VCU receiving at large bids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VCU Rams men's soccer</span> American college soccer team

The VCU Rams men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of Virginia Commonwealth University, an NCAA Division I member school located in the state's capital of Richmond. The team is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Atlanta</span>

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Sports Backers is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 and located in Richmond, Virginia at Sports Backers Stadium. The mission of the Sports Backers has expanded from its beginnings as a traditional sports commission for economic development to be focused on increasing physical activity to improve the health of area residents. The Sports Backers created Movement Makers, a national active living conference to encourage community health organizations that promote physical activity to have a place to gather and learn from each other. The annual event takes place in Richmond, Virginia and occurs at the same time as Dominion Riverrock. The Sports Backers own Dominion Riverrock, the largest outdoor sports and music festival in the country, the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, the 8th largest running race in the United States, and the Anthem Richmond Marathon, the 18th largest marathon in the country. The organization owns and produces 15 events. The organization also supports other organizations with more than 24 major sports tourism events in the Richmond region receiving annual support through marketing grants, operational assistance and loaning equipment. Sports Backers was named the Member of the Year by the National Association of Sports Commissions in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015. Jon Lugbill is the organization's executive director and has been leading the organization since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 VCU Rams men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams were led by Mike Rhoades in his first season as head coach at VCU. The Rams played their home games at Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. C. Stevens</span> American football player (born 1987)

Tony C. Stevens is an American football kicker for the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League. He played college football at Hampden–Sydney College and attended Halifax County High School in South Boston, Virginia. He has also been a member of the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, Richmond Raiders, New Orleans VooDoo, Triangle Torch and Washington Valor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Arena League</span> U.S. indoor football league

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References

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  2. https://redskinsrva.bonsecours.com/training-camp
  3. "XTERRA East Championship in Richmond". richmond.com. June 7, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  4. Jones, Will (September 21, 2011). "Richmond picked to host World Road Cycling Championships". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  5. "Dominion Riverrock Event Organizers". Dominion Riverrock. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  6. "Dominion Riverrock Sees Record Attendance". 18 May 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  7. "Largest Running Races" . Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  8. "Largest Marathons in USA" . Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  9. Stott, John C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie. Surrey, BC, Canada: Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. 209. ISBN   1-894974-21-2.
  10. "Renegades shut down operations". Richmond Times Dispatch . March 27, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  11. "Indoor football team moving into Ashe Center". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on July 26, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  12. "Richmond Revolution Not Returning in 2012". Richmond Raiders Insider Blog. October 27, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  13. Mark Davis (July 18, 2018). "Roughriders plan to leave Richmond". NBC12.com.