University of Richmond Athletics
AD Update from John P. Hardt
08/28/2026 | General, Spider Athletic Fund
Greetings Spiders,
There is no mistaking the energy that comes with the beginning of a new academic year at Richmond. Campus feels different when the Spiders return, and it has been wonderful to see our student-athletes, coaches and staff back together. Many members of our fall teams arrived weeks before classes began, dedicating long summer days to preseason preparation. With some sports already competing and others only days away from their season openers, another year of Spider Athletics is officially underway!
Our fall programs will give Spider fans plenty to be excited about, starting with tomorrow’s football season opener vs Bucknell in Robins Stadium! The team begins a new chapter in the Patriot League, where the additions of longtime rivals William & Mary and Villanova make the conference feel both fresh and familiar. Both matchups have been important parts of Richmond football history, particularly the annual Capital Cup rivalry with William & Mary, and I’m excited to see them take on even greater significance as conference games.
Field hockey returns to competition as the defending A10 regular season champion, and I’m ready to see what its talented student-athletes and coaches can accomplish following last year’s breakthrough season. Spider soccer has already provided plenty of highlights, opening 2-0-1 through three games, and our cross country student-athletes have put in countless miles, including on a recent preseason training trip to West Virginia, as they prepare for their season.
I know our fall teams will set a tremendous tone for all of our Spiders to follow throughout the 2026-27 school year, which promises to challenge student-athletes from all 17 of our programs athletically, academically, and personally. Providing them with the resources to meet these challenges requires tremendous preparation and collaboration. I am grateful to our coaches and Athletics staff members whose work throughout the summer ensured that our student-athletes returned to programs ready to support their success.
I especially want to recognize our Spider Athletic Fund staff for its tireless work to generate the philanthropic support necessary to provide a first-rate student-athlete experience. To our donors, season-ticket holders, alumni, fans and friends, thank you. The opportunities we offer our Spiders are possible only because of your commitment to Richmond Athletics.
Now it is time to enjoy the year together. I encourage you to attend a game or meet, follow our programs and celebrate the student-athletes who represent Richmond with such pride. There is nothing quite like the start of a new year at Richmond, and I can’t wait to see what our Spiders accomplish together.
Take care, be well, and … Go Spiders!
John P. Hardt
Vice President & Director of Athletics
athleticdirector@richmond.edu
Catch up on the latest highlights from Spider Athletics below.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2006
The Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was revealed on Aug. 13. It includes Tim Bezbatchenko from men’s soccer, Vito Chiaravalloti from baseball, Eric McBride from football, Brittani Shells from women’s basketball, and Jessica Witt Leach from women’s swimming and diving. The group will be formally enshrined in the Hall at a ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23, and the new Hall-of-Famers will also be recognized at the Homecoming football game against Colgate on Oct. 24.
FIELD HOCKEY’S BIG WEEKEND
A10 coaches picked Spider field hockey No. 2 in this week’s Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll. Richmond will prepare for its conference season against a challenging non-conference schedule that includes today’s season opener vs Queens at 3 PM on Crenshaw Field. UR will turn around quickly to host ACC foe Duke at noon Sunday, also at Crenshaw Field. 2025 NCAA semifinalist North Carolina will also visit Richmond, facing the Spiders at noon on Sept. 13.
SOCCER MAKING HISTORY
At 2-0-1, Spider soccer will have a chance to go unbeaten through its first four games of a season for the first time in program history when UR visits Mount St. Mary’s Sunday. The team has been led by sophomore Morgane Zinn, who earned A10 Offensive Player of the Week honors Monday after scoring twice vs Queens to become the first Spider with a multi-goal game since the 2025 season opener.
CROSS COUNTRY SETTLES IN
Men’s and women’s cross country will open their 2026 season with the annual Spider Alumni Open at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va. on Sept. 5. It will be one of three home meets for the Spiders this season, as UR will also host the Richmond Invitational on Oct. 2 and welcome its conference rivals for the Atlantic 10 Championships on Oct. 31. Between its home meets, the teams will make trips to Charlottesville, Va., and College Station, Texas, to test themselves against some of the nation’s top runners.
SPIDER CROSS COUNTRY
2026 SCHEDULE
BASKETBALL SCHEDULES SET
Both the Spider men and women have announced their non-conference schedules for the 2026-27 basketball season. The men will visit Virginia Tech for the first regular-season meeting between the teams since 2009 and also face in-state rivals VMI, William & Mary, Old Dominion, and Liberty (meeting the Flames at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia). The women will play 10 of their 13 non-conference games in the Richmond region, including eight in the Robins Center and two at the Henrico Sports & Events Center over Thanksgiving weekend. The first chance to see both teams will be at the annual Tip-Off Reception, which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 1, in the Queally Athletics Center.
