Most basketball programs are measured by the banners they have hanging in their arena or the amount of highly recruited athletes they sign each year, but there is more to being a great college basketball program. Although NCAA tournament bids, national championships, and signing the top recruits in the nation are definitely positives that make a program recognized and respected, there are intricacies that make programs great for the fans and schools that support them. Consider the arena and the architecture of it, the atmosphere and how difficult it is for opposing teams to play in it, the fandom that is put on display in exaggerated ways, the school’s efforts to make the program as enjoyable as possible for students and fans, and even more.
When looking at different programs across the nation and thinking about which schools are making strides in these areas, one would have to consider the University of Richmond. The Richmond Spiders basketball team is an Atlantic 10 conference team that has a highly sought-after coach Chris Mooney, and a collection of top-recruited players in the nation. They have a myriad of banners, most notably when they beat Charles Barkley’s No. 5 Auburn team in the NCAA tournament in 1984 as a No. 12 seed. Equally as impressive, they beat the defending national champions (Indiana) in 1988 as a No. 13 seed. They have even made college basketball history as being the first team ever to win as a No. 15 seed when they beat No. 2 seeded Syracuse in 1991. The Spiders have most recently had their March Madness magic in 2010 when they made it all the way to the Sweet 16.
Even with these banners and history-making efforts, it’s the things that many people can’t see or appreciate on television that make this program one of the best in the nation. The Robins Center, which the Spiders call home, recently went through a $17 million renovation in 2013 that included a change in architectural structure and gadgets. Not only were the seats refurbished, the floor completely re-done and freshly painted, the terrace created and perfected, and the ceiling painted a midnight blue, but the Robins Center now also houses the four largest screens in the entire Atlantic 10. Also, the new state-of-the-art LED lighting allows for better lighting of the players and the court for an even better visual experience. The architecture of the arena allows for sound to fill the space and bounce off the rounded ceiling and create an extremely hectic place for opposing teams to play in.
Other than the Spiders' impressive arena, the Richmond students create an atmosphere that is quickly becoming one of the best in the nation. The Spiders’ atmosphere has received praise time after time from analysts and opposing coaches and players:
"The energy in here is incredible! I am literally shaking in my seat right now. I want to stay for another overtime!" said ESPN's Jon Crispin.
"They've done a tremendous job here with the facility," said former Arizona State coach Herb Sendek. "It's really sharp-looking. The lighting and the big LED boards are really impressive. They had a nice crowd to support the team and deservedly so."
"This crowd is raucous right now!" said ESPN's Mark Jones.
As impressive as these quotes are, it was the Miami game that set us apart from most schools in the nation after Miami coach Jim Larranaga had something to say about the Spider crowd:
"It was just like Cameron (Indoor Stadium). I would say they're a little more polite though. I thought the atmosphere was tremendous," said Miami coach Jim Larranaga
Cameron is where the Duke Blue Devils play, which is widely considered one of the best basketball programs and basketball atmospheres in all of college basketball.
The Spiders, thanks to the Richmond Rowdies, debuted their two tifos (large crowd banners) last year that covered the entire two student sections and created an even more electric vibe to the game. The students are allowed to spend their school’s dining dollars at the stadium and are even invited to a school-sponsored pre-game that includes free food and drinks, music, a place to hang out, and some photo opportunities with a number of different things from game to game.
The Richmond Spiders have their first game of the season on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. and look to continue this same type of atmosphere and success. As always, the team, students, and fans are hoping for an NCAA bid and a deep run that involves the Spiders shocking the nation and hoisting up a trophy that will claim them not only A-10 champs, but NCAA champions as well.
