The university won its first national championship in 1982 when women 's tennis won the AIAW national championship . The university won its first NCAA national championship in any sport on December 19 , 2008 , when the Spiders football team defeated the Montana Grizzlies 24 – 7 in the NCAA Division I Football Championship ( which is exclusively for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision , the second tier of NCAA Division I football ) . Richmond was ranked 23rd in men 's basketball at one point during the 2009 – 10 season . During its 2010 season the Richmond Men 's Cross Country team placed 24th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships . The 2010-11 Richmond Spiders men 's basketball team won the 2011 Atlantic 10 Men 's Basketball Tournament , earning the team a spot in the 2011 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament . The Spiders fell to Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen
2011 Atlantic 10 Men 's Basketball Tournament
2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
University of Richmond