[mlmpetert]

@ Smoot - that doesnt really make a lot of sense. VCU's medical school is MCV, which is on a seperate campus about 2 miles east in downtown Richmond next to big buildings and stuff. The main VCU campus is kind of at the juncture where downtown meets the old uptown residential type area. City Stadium is about 2-3 miles futher west. So all 3 places are spread out from each other with VCU in the middle.

Its openly known that VCU can have City Stadium if they want it, but VCU's been putting it off. Im starting to feel like this whole training camp thing is gonna make them commit one way or another.

Ever since UR stoped playing there people have been trying to figure out what to do with City Stadium. VCU was/is the likely sucessor but its not a sure thing. VCU's old president wouldnt even entertain the idea of a football team. I think the new president is ambivalent to the idea. VCU's old AD, Norwood Teague, wanted a football team, and pulled a HUGE shocker when he left Shaka to go to Minnesota about a month ago.

This happened right after Shaka committed to VCU, and combined with VCU joining the A10 has created some speculation that Shaka Smart is against VCU getting a football team. After Shaka stayed, and because of the amount we are paying him, he's gonna get his way (imo Teague could be the bigger loss (digression)). Also with VCU's recent success at bball there hasnt been a push for football like there was 10 years ago. In fact i would say most of the VCU community is against getting a football team right now.

But now that i know the other place behind the Flying Squirrels (fun fact - flying squirrels are not indigenous to Richmond) is owned by VCU i got to think that if VCU was to ever get a football team thats where they have been planning to build a stadium.

The previous minor leauge bball team (for the Braves) was pushed out of town because like City Stadium the baseball stadium (called The Diamond) was in disrepair. After they left we got the Flying Squirrels and helped them "band aid" fix it up. Attendence has been great and theyve done really well, but at some point theyll need a new stadium. Im thinking once they get their stadium, or leave, VCU will take over The Diamond with the intent to eventually rip it down and start a football program.

So all this could force a couple key decisions that are partially contingent on each other:

1) VCU's football intent & where theyll eventually play
2) Commitment via stadium funding to the Flying Squirrels & where to build the new stadium
3) What to do with City Stadium and eventually The Diamond

My guess is they wont be able to figure all this out and there will be a "make do" type solution, at least initially. City Stadium has seating for 22k, the VCU fields behind The Diamond have 3k seats but could easily be expanded to 6k or more. Parking and traffic wont be a problem for either site. I guess it all depends on how good RGIII looks early on.