RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams men’s complete 2017-1018 basketball schedule has now been released, with the conference games revealed by the league Wednesday.
Led by first-year Head Coach Mike Rhoades, the Rams will officially kick off their 50th season of hoops on Friday, Nov. 10 against Grambling. That game is expected to be the program’s 100th consecutive home sellout at the E.J. Wade Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
The Rams are coming off a 26-9 campaign and a seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17. Rhoades welcomes eight new players to the fold in 2017-18 to compliment a group of returnees that includes All-Atlantic 10 Conference forward Justin Tillman (Detroit, Mich./Pershing).
The Rams will open their sixth A-10 campaign against Fordham on Saturday, Dec. 30 at the E.J. Wade Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at 12:30 p.m. That game will be carried on NBC Sports Network.
Eleven of VCU’s conference matchups will appear on national television.
The university said that additional television games outside the Atlantic 10’s package, including those with regional and local networks, will be released in the coming weeks.
The Rams will meet cross-town rival Richmond Jan. 17 at home and Feb. 7 at the Robins Center (CBSSN).
The Rams get another crack at defending A-10 Champion Rhode Island, which defeated VCU in the 2017 league title game, on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. at home. ESPN2 will carry that tilt.
Non-conference games will see VCU face Texas, bringing former head coach Shaka Smart back to the Siegel Center. Former coach Anthony Grant now leads the Dayton Flyers, who VCU faces twice. Grant returns to the Siegel Center on Feb. 10.
This year 2018 Atlantic 10 conference tournament games will be closer to home, in Washington, D.C. at the Capital One Arena.
November
Fri Nov. 03 – v Virginia Union
Fri Nov 10 – v Grambling
Mon Nov 13 – v North Florida
Fri Nov 17 – v UVA
Mon Nov 20 – Marquette*
Tues Nov 21 – Cal/Wichita State*
Wed Nov 22 – TBD, Maui Invitational*
Tues Nov 28 – Appalachian State
December
Sat Dec 2 – Old Dominion
Tues Dec 5 – Texas
Sat Dec 9 – at Seton Hall
Sat Dec 16 – Bucknell
Tues Dec 19 – Winthrop
Fri Dec 22 – VMI
Sat Dec 30 – Fordham(12:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network)
VCU Atlantic 10 Schedule
January
Wed Jan 03 – TBA, Saint Joseph’s
Sat Jan 06 — La Salle (2 p.m. NBC Sports Network)
Tues Jan 09 — Duquesne
Fri Jan 12 –Dayton ( 7p.m. ESPN2)
Wed Jan 17 – Richmond
Sat Jan 20 —George Washington (12:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network)
Tues Jan 23 — Saint Louis (TBA CBS Sports Network)
Sat Jan 27 — George Mason (TBA CBS Sports Network)
February
Fri Feb 2 Rhode Island (7 p.m. ESPN2)
Wed Feb 7 Richmond (TBA CBS Sports Network)
Sat Feb 10 Dayton (TBA CBS Sports Network)
Wed Feb 14 Davidson ( TBA CBS Sports Network)
Sat Feb 17 George Washington
Wed Feb 21 Massachusetts
Sat Feb 24 St. Bonaventure (TBA CBS Sports Network)
Wed Feb 28 George Mason
March
Sat Mar 3 Fordham
Wed. Mar 7 A-10 tournament starts