College Sports Established
1840
Location
Richmond, Virginia
College Name
University of Richmond
Collegiate History
1986 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
2001 - Present / Atlantic 10 Conference
1986 - 2001 / Yankee Conference
Nickname
Spiders - Sports fans worldwide know that college sports teams often have unique nicknames, and one of the most interesting is that of the Richmond Spiders. But where did this nickname come from? The answer lies in a bit of history about Richmond University's founding.
In 1830, when William Foxcroft Galt founded Richmond College as an Episcopal seminary for young men seeking to become priests or missionaries, it had no official name or mascot. It wasn't until 1834, when students began referring to themselves as "spider," that they adopted their current nickname - The Spiders! This was due to several giant spiders found on campus buildings during construction, which were thought to represent good luck and fortune for those attending classes there.
It’s been said over time; these spiders became so closely associated with school spirit and pride among its students they eventually earned a place on team uniforms beginning in 1895 - thus making them one of only two NCAA Division I schools with arachnid mascots (the other being Charlotte).
While some may be initially surprised by this unusual choice for a mascot, it makes perfect sense considering how important insects are in nature, providing food sources and helping pollinate plants & flowers necessary for life! So while you cheer your favorite Spider team onto victory, remember their story – because without these eight-legged creatures, none of us would ever be here today enjoying all our favorite sports games!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1998
- 2008
- 2022
-
head coach John Beilein
In 1998: The men’s basketball team reaches the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, led by head coach John Beilein and player Curtis Blair. -
football team wins the CAA championship
In 2008: The football team wins the CAA championship and advances to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. -
Champions! Spiders win Atlantic 10 title
The 2022 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball tournament was the postseason men’s basketball tournament for the 2021–22 season of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). It was held March 9–13, 2022, in Washington, D.C., at the Capital One Arena. The winner of the tournament, the Richmond Spiders, received the conference’s automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA tournament.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Spiders
One of the most successful teams at Richmond has been its men’s basketball program, which has made multiple appearances in both NCAA and NIT tournaments throughout its history. The team won its first conference championship back in 1976, when it was still part of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Since then, they've won six more CAA titles before joining the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) before the 2012–13 season—winning two A-10 tournament championships since becoming members there too!
In addition to their success on hardwood courts across America, Richmond also boasts an impressive track record when it comes to football too! The Spiders were founding members of what is now known as FCS Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly Division I-AA Football Championship Subdivision—where they claimed three conference titles during their time there between 1988–2008, including one national championship title back in 1998!
Overall though, no matter what sport you look at or how far back into history you go, one thing is sure: Richmond University's athletic department holds some serious clout within collegiate athletics nationwide today! From winning multiple regular season & tournament championships within both conferences' football & basketball programs down through decades past - we can all agree that this school knows how to make champions out of 'em Spider student-athletes year after year!!
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