The major conference realignment of the early 2010s eventually gave VCU the opportunity for a major basketball upgrade . After A10 mainstay Temple announced its departure for the Big East Conference and Charlotte announced it would return to Conference USA , the A10 reloaded by adding Butler and VCU . The move placed VCU in a conference that regularly collected NCAA at-large bids — the A10 had 20 teams earn at-large bids from 2000 through 2012 , including three in the 2012 tournament . By comparison , the CAA had only four at-large bids in the same period ( one of them being VCU 's 2011 Final Four team )
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
VCU Rams men's basketball