Today was supposed to be the day for a major announcement regarding VCU’s future conference affiliation. That announcement never came.
What was announced however, were three giant stories that will effect VCU’s future in one way or another:
1) VCU officials named Dave Benedict as interim Athletics Director for the Rams. Benedict has served as Executive Associate AD since 2010. VCU President Michael Rao said he will appoint a committee this week to conduct a national search to fill the position on a full-time basis.
2) ESPN’s Andy Katz reported Butler will join the Atlantic 10 conference for the 2013-2014 season. Rumors have linked the Bulldogs with VCU and Mason as the three teams likely to expand the A10 to sixteen following the loss of Temple to the Big East and the impending loss of Charlotte to Conference USA (reported today by CBS Sports). Two things we like about this news (as in VCURamNation.com staff, who are all in favor of the move) it 1) means there’s actually something to some of these rumors — after conference commissioners have denied these things for months now — and 2) it makes the A10 a more attractive future home for the Rams.
3) CBS Sports reported Old Dominion is headed to Conference USA. The thought is ODU — made uneasy from the VCU and Mason rumors — decided to make the jump to FBS football a bit earlier than originally planned and to not be left in greatly depleted CAA conference. It was later reported that this has yet to become official, but the loss of ODU would further push the Rams toward the A10, which has now become even more attractive with the addition of Butler and the subtraction of our main rival in the Colonial.
Outgoing AD Norwood Teague recommended to President Rao and the Board of Visitors that VCU remain in the CAA, but we can’t help but wonder if he had any idea that CAA would be without one of it’s top programs in ODU.
