Copycats in the making

   For nearly as long as the two schools have existed, ODU and VCU have been like parallel universes.

   While they are very different places, the similarities in athletics are such, and the proximity is such, that the two schools love to hate each other.

   ODU's addition of football, however, has left VCU looking somewhat inferior on the landscape. And maybe that's why there's renewed talk in Richmond of the idea of adding football.

   It's merely an idea, folks. And take it from a VCU graduate, there are a lot of stumbling blocks in the way.

   ODU thinks it had a land issue on its hands when presented with the idea of football? VCU's land issue is twice as bad.

   ODU had a stadium at its disposal. Yes, it was old and in need of repair. But Foreman Field is going to look like a candy apple red '66 Mustang that someone had a lot of money to drop on when it's done. And seriously, who wouldn't want to tool around in a '66 Mustang with the top down?

   VCU has at its disposal ... University of Richmond Stadium? Puuuulease. It's miles from campus and even Richmond is giving up on it, choosing to build its own on-campus stadium.

   When Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Tim Pearrell wrote about renewed interest in football in this morning's T-D, much of the speculation surrounded ODU's financial numbers in adding football. One comment tagged on Pearrell's on-line story talked about how exciting it would be to drawn 5,000-plus to a VCU football game.

   Last I looked, ODU is frantic over the fact that it might not have enough supply for the demand of tickets its facing. There have already been 11,000 season tickets sold, about 4,000 more will be set aside for students, and the hope is that the facility will seat enough once they are done counting available seats that there will be 5,000 more to afford the general public on a single-game basis.

   I helped my 13-year-old with his algebra homework last night, so I know there's a monumental difference in 5,000 (VCU) and 20,000 (ODU). I might even be able to draw up an algebraic equation for the difference. Needless to say, ODU would be the X-factor.

   It is going to be really, really easy for ODU folks to take a superior stance when dealing with VCU folks in the near future in regards to football and athletic department growth. ODU was bold enough to take the plunge. VCU is now asking, "How's the water? Is it cold? Deep?"

   ODU's response: "We're getting along just swimmingly."

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