Richmond why the spiders

So was created perhaps the most unique school nickname in the nation. To this day, the University of Richmond is the only school in the country which sports the nickname "Spiders. Ad Blocker Detected Thanks for visiting! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here.

Ad Blocker Detected. Though the origin story of the Spiders nickname is extremely specific, it is not well known. I asked Ms. Woodson if she thought current students would know where the nickname came from. But even if the story behind the nickname is not well known, the nickname itself is. The University of Richmond is a small school, with just over 3, undergraduates, and it has had minimal success in athletics. The Spiders football team won the Division 1-AA now stupidly called the Football Championship Subdivision championship, the basketball team was the first seed ever to win an NCAA tournament game in , and the baseball program has produced such Major League players as Brian Jordan and Sean Casey.

But even if the Spiders are not exactly an athletic powerhouse, the nickname is memorable. Before WebstUR was introduced, the university community held an online vote to decide between one of the designs above by Rickabaugh Graphics, or to stay with the frat guy in the cape. The one on the left won, even though the one on the right what I think of as Teenage Mutant Ninja Spider had built-in rocket launchers on its arms.

As many universities and colleges do, the academic institution has its own logo, distinct from the athletic mark. The primary athletic logo , a silhouette of a spider, is not based on a specific species, according to Woodson, but does have one defining characteristic.