PRESS BOX: VCU belongs with the big dogs in 2K

Kyler Gilliam, Staff Writer

College basketball is coming back to our consoles and joysticks, as video game publisher 2K  recently announced a “college basketball experience” that will be released as early as 2027.

However, the excitement from sports gamers has been diminished by 2K clarifying only over 100 of the 361 Division 1 teams will make the cut. 

This restriction of teams should only raise one question for fans: Is VCU worthy of being in the new 2K college basketball game?

The answer should be yes, however, I can see a world where the Rams are sadly left out of 2K’s triumphant return to college basketball.

Since the release of the last college basketball game in 2009, VCU has appeared 11 times in March Madness, including making the Final Four in 2011, according to Sports Reference College Basketball. The Rams have continued their success and joined the Atlantic 10, one of the better mid-major conferences. 

The Rams have been a marquee mid-major team for the past two decades and a recognizable brand in college basketball.

The A-10 is a respected basketball conference that VCU has thrown its weight around in, battling teams such as the University of Dayton, Saint Louis University, St. Joseph’s University and St. Bonaventure University.

The Rams have won three regular season conference championships and three conference tournament championships since joining the A-10.

If 2K wants to include teams such as Dayton and St. Louis, VCU should also make the final cut.

VCU has played as a top 100 team in D1 for many years, including last year on its way to another March Madness appearance. VCU finished last season ranked No. 31 in the NCAA D1 men’s basketball NET rating.

This puts the Rams well within the “more than 100 programs” threshold that 2K set for its game. There are not 100 basketball programs better than VCU today. It will be a disservice to many mid-major basketball fans and avid sports gamers if the Rams don’t grace our screens — and it would be the fault of power conferences, not VCU’s own success.

The teams that make up the Power Six conferences — including the Southeastern, Big Ten, Big Twelve, Big East, Atlantic Coast and Pac-12 — likely have priority over VCU.

There will be 88 teams playing in the Power Six conferences by 2027. A-10 schools will be fighting other mid-major programs for a position in the game.

VCU’s inclusion depends on what conferences and individual teams 2K deems important enough. Conferences such as the American, Sun Belt and Mountain West might get the nod over the Rams and the A-10.

No matter what 2K decides to do, VCU is worthy of being in the game. If they are not, it is an indictment of 2K’s laziness — and thousands of fans will be left without their favorite team in college basketball’s video game return.