Fcs Football Central

Richmond Football Set To Join Patriot League Following 2024 Season

Zach McKinnell

Richmond Athletics
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Richmond announced plans to join the Patriot League as an associate member following the 2024 season. The Spiders join Delaware as CAA programs to leave the CAA this offseason, as the Blue Hens are set to join the C-USA after next season.

“The Patriot League provides our football student-athletes and staff with the opportunity to experience championship-level competition at the highest levels of the FCS in a conference that is rich in tradition, scholarship, and stability,” said University of Richmond Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hardt.

“Joining the Patriot League puts our football program in a great position to continue to compete for championships and achieve the type of postseason success that is so important to our players, our university, and Spiders everywhere.”

Richmond won a share of the CAA championship and advanced the second round of the FCS Playoffs last season. The Spiders have won 13 conference championships and made 13 appearances in the FCS Playoffs, including winning the FCS National Championship in 2008.

CAA Football Commissioner Joe D'Antonio released a statement on Richmond's decision to join the Patriot League.

“This morning, I was informed of the University of Richmond’s decision to depart the CAA Football conference at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The CAA has long been regarded as one of the premier conferences in FCS football, having sent at least three teams to the playoffs in 16 of the past 18 years. A CAA team has advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs 10 times in the last 11 seasons, and even more impressively, seven different conference schools have reached the semifinals over that 11-year period.

"CAA Football is committed to competing at the highest level and continuing that success. CAA Football will continue to make decisions that move the conference forward by creating both a competitive and sustainable model.”

Richmond will become the eighth football member of the conference, joining Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Fordham, and Georgetown. The Spiders are the first football program to enter or depart the Patriot League since 2004.

“I’m excited for what joining the Patriot League means for the future of our program," Richmond head coach Russ Huesman said. "This is a big change for Spider Football, but our goals will stay the same: win conference championships, advance in the FCS Playoffs, and compete for national championships. The Patriot League is full of great football programs and great schools, and I think it will be a great fit for Richmond.”

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Zach McKinnell
ZACH MCKINNELL

Zach McKinnell is the Founder and Senior Editor of FCS Football Central. He is also a columnist for HERO Sports and a contributor for Athlon Sports. In 2022, he became an official voter in the FCS Stats Perform Top-25. He is a former contributor for Vols Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports Network, and Fly War Eagle on FanSided. Zach graduated from Auburn University in 2018. 

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