The Rams will reunite with rival George Mason as the Patriots are scheduled to join the Atlantic 10 effective July 1.
The two were apart just one season following VCU’s departure from the CAA last summer.
VCU thrived in the A-10, finishing second in both the regular season and conference tournament before landing a No.5 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, while Mason had somewhat of a rebuilding year with the loss of three key seniors, but are currently 19-14 and still alive in this year’s CBI tournament.
The Patriots add another Virginia rival to the league as well as a recent Final 4 banner (2006).
The Rams and Patriots have squared off 49 times since 1981, with VCU leading the series 31-18. The two split the regular season series last season, but VCU got the tie-breaker in a 74-64 CAA tournament win, ending Mason’s season at 24-9.
George Mason finished the season fourth in the CAA, eventually losing to tournament champion James Madison in the league semi-finals. The Patriots ranked 163 in the RPI, but saw a 69 non-conference RPI (7-5 record) dragged down by a 213 conference RPI. They return 13 of 14 players, losing only Bryce Lewis who ranks last on the team in ppg at 1.0, and will bring an incredibly experienced teams to their first season of A-1o play.
