VCU's Success Extends Far Beyond Richmond

As Virginia Commonwealth University continues it's Cinderella run through the grandest stage of collegiate athletics, fans from all over the original colony have banded together in support. It seems only fitting that a restaurant named after the state tree and flower would attract such a draw for the improbable run of the state's largest university.

"It's a little weird," Dogwood Tavern general manager Nate Campbell said. "We didn't know there were that many VCU fans until the last minute of [a last second victory over Florida State in the third round of the tournament], and everybody started freaking out because a Virginia college kept advancing."

Of course, underdog Virginia schools playing this deep into the NCAA men's basketball tournament is nothing new. VCU is the lowest seed in the Final Four since George Mason toppled perennial powerhouses Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut during their miracle run in 2006 before falling to eventual champion Florida. All VCU has done so far is take down Georgetown, Purdue and Kansas, in addition to tenth seeded Florida State, which proved to be the Rams' toughest game in the tournament and the only team to keep the final margin in single digits.

While Richmond may be a bit of a hike compared to Fairfax, Falls Church seems to be just as caught up in Rams fever it was with the Patriots six years ago.
"We've definitely seen an increase in business," Campbell said. "I imagine [Saturday] will be even [busier]."

The Rams' success isn't going unnoticed across the country, either. ESPN has dedicated entire segments to the upcoming match up with Butler, the darling of 2010, which advanced to the championship game against Duke. Even halfway across the country, at least one Falls Church native is spreading the word. Jesse Vasquez, a 2003 graduate of J.E.B. Stuart High School and 2008 graduate of VCU who now lives in Fort Hood, Texas, relates a drastic increase in popularity for the otherwise unknown school.

"You don't ever really see that many VCU alum out here even though it's a huge school," Vasquez said in a phone interview. "I wear my VCU stuff, but you [used to] never once see VCU gear on the streets of [nearby] Austin. Since the run, I've seen more people wearing VCU stuff. I don't even know if they go to the school."

While George Mason may have taken the country by storm in 2006, VCU is no stranger to tournament success. In 2007, the Rams, again as an 11 seed, knocked off Duke in the first round, an impressive feat despite a down year for the Blue Devils. That celebration was limited though, as the Rams fell to Pittsburgh in the second round.

"That was great, but it's nothing compared to what it's like now," said Vasquez, who plans to make the roughly 160-mile trip from Austin to Houston to attend the semifinal match up on Saturday.

Indeed, the precedent George Mason set not only raised the bar for other area schools, but also intensified a rivalry that most outside the Old Dominion state are unaware of.

"People definitely remember that, and actually, it's always been a personal grudge of mine," Vasquez said of the comparisons VCU is drawing to George Mason. "Even that year when they made that Final Four, we beat them twice. I would like to say I don't root against Mason, but that would be a lie. I root actively against them."

While the on court comparisons may be a point of contention, local establishments have no problem reaping the benefits of another Virginia school playing basketball into early April.

"The Mason crowd, since it's right down the street from us, it brought a huge crowd out," said Campbell, who at the time was working for Dogwood's sister bars Rhodeside Grill and Ragtime in Arlington. “All the restaurants around here were busy when Mason advanced to the Elite Eight and Final Four."

Whether or not VCU's glass slipper continues to fit remains to be seen, but the royal ball continues at Dogwood Tavern on Saturday for a 6:09 p.m. tip off with the Bulldogs, as the Rams will attempt to answer the question on the minds of the other 49 states, "V-C-who?"