Despite being the twelfth most populous state in the United States, Virginia is the only one of the top twelve lacking a professional sports team. However, the local sports scene in Virginia has flourished throughout the years and continues to do so, especially within the Richmond area. Richmonders have two beloved local teams, the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Richmond Kickers. The Squirrels are a minor league baseball team in the Double-A division. The Kickers are a soccer team competing in the USL League 1, two tiers down from the highest echelon of American soccer.

Both teams are experiencing major changes in 2025. The Flying Squirrels will have a new stadium come the 2026 season, making this year the last in The Diamond. The new stadium, Carmax Park, is being built just yards away from the Diamond. The Diamond, however beloved, is extremely dilapidated and is not up to code with Major League Baseball standards. The MLB has set a deadline for the new stadium to be finished by the 2026 season, so this change is just in the nick of time. Without a new stadium, the Squirrels would be denied permission to compete in the Double-A season.

The Richmond Kickers organization is changing even more. The Kickers are in the unique situation of being both a professional level and youth soccer club. The youth team is also known as Richmond Kickers, cross-town rivals of the Richmond Strikers. Both teams are merging this year with a different soccer organization, Richmond United. Richmond United strictly fielded ECNL teams prior to the merger. ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) is a soccer league above any level that Richmond Kickers and Richmond Strikers compete in. Now Kickers, Strikers and Richmond United have all combined under the name of Richmond United. There will still be one ECNL team for each

Beyond minor league teams, College athletics is thriving in Richmond. Notable teams of many local colleges and universities include the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams, University of Richmond (UR) Spiders, and the Virginia Union University (VUU) Panthers. VCU is known for their spectacular basketball program, as the team competes in the highest level of NCAA basketball and has made frequent March Madness appearances. UR boasts strong baseball and lacrosse programs, as its baseball team has qualified for the NCAA tournament eight times and the lacrosse teams have ranked among the nation's best. A historically black college, VUU additionally has a rich football culture and remains competitive in the CIAA conference. In regards to 2024 standings in the conference, the team finished first in the division with a 7-3 record.

Even with no professional teams, the passionate fan support and engagement from the local Richmond community have helped maintain the relevance of sports within the area. With many new developments on the horizon for its minor league teams and a sustained presence for college teams in various sports, Richmond’s sports scene is entering a very new, exciting era that will establish it as a top destination for athletics in Virginia in the years to come.

Information gathered from WRIC ABC 8News, CBS Sports, Wikipedia, VCU News