The Henrico Sports & Events Center will host its first Division 1 college basketball game Monday, Dec. 11, featuring the women’s basketball teams from VCU and the University of Delaware.
The game, scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m., will be held in the 3,500-seat arena of the Sports & Events Center, which opened in late October at Virginia Center Commons, just off Interstate 95 in northcentral Henrico County.
“Henrico County is excited to welcome VCU, Delaware and college basketball fans to Virginia’s newest sports and entertainment venue,” said Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority. “This game marks another milestone for the Sports & Events Center and for our community. It’s also a sign of what’s to come, as this spacious, versatile facility will be a destination for premier events along the East Coast.”
VCU and Delaware will play on the same floor used by the NCAA during the 2023 Sweet Sixteen Men’s basketball tournament in Louisville, Ky. The early season clash of nonconference foes will enhance the Sports & Events Center’s relationship with the Atlantic 10 Conference, whose member schools include VCU and the University of Richmond. The 185,000-square-foot facility’s first event was the A-10 Women’s Basketball Media Day on Oct. 26. The venue also will host the A-10 Women’s Basketball Championship in March 2024 and 2025.
“We are so excited to have a first-class basketball facility in our backyard,” VCU Head Coach Beth O’Boyle said. “It’s an incredible time for women’s basketball, and we are thrilled to host the A-10 championships here in Richmond. The Dec. 11 game against Delaware is an awesome way to kick off the season and will showcase the state-of-the-art facility and championship atmosphere that will be coming in March.”
The A-10 Women’s Basketball Championship will bring thousands of visitors and millions of dollars of economic impact to Henrico and the region for the five-day, nationally televised tournament, Bickmeier said.
Tickets to the VCU-Delaware game will be available through henricosea.com.
