RICHMOND, VA — October 27, 2026
Thanksgiving weekend is shaping up to be a significant occasion for women's college basketball in Central Virginia.
The 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic is scheduled for November 27–29 at the Henrico Sports & Events Center, bringing together established programs and local Atlantic 10 competitors for three days of basketball.
Among the teams scheduled to compete are Ohio State, Florida State, VCU and the University of Richmond.
The showcase offers local fans an opportunity to watch multiple Division I programs without traveling outside the Richmond metropolitan area.
According to the venue's official event listing, seven games are scheduled across the three-day event.
## VCU Faces Two Major Tests
For VCU, the showcase presents an especially demanding schedule.
The Rams are scheduled to face Coppin State on Friday, November 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Less than 24 hours later, VCU will meet Ohio State at noon on Saturday.
The Rams' final scheduled appearance comes Sunday, November 29, at noon against Florida State.
Those games will provide an early opportunity to evaluate VCU under first-year head coach Chelsea Banbury.
Banbury arrived in Richmond after seven seasons at High Point, where she compiled a 140–79 record and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Her new roster includes senior guard Macy Spencer, who earned Atlantic 10 Preseason Second Team recognition after averaging 18.6 points per game at High Point last season.
Junior guard Katarina Knežević also received preseason conference recognition following a 2025–26 campaign in which she led VCU with 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
## Richmond Gets Its Own Holiday Spotlight
The University of Richmond will also participate in the showcase.
The Spiders are scheduled to face St. John's on Friday, November 27, at 2:30 p.m., before meeting Coppin State on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Richmond enters the upcoming season under new head coach Alisa Kresge.
Kresge previously led Vermont to three NCAA Tournament appearances and compiled a 145–89 record during eight seasons.
The Spiders also return senior guard Ally Sweeney, who was named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team on October 19.
Sweeney averaged 10.5 points and 4.4 assists during the previous season, leading the conference with 149 total assists.
Richmond was selected eighth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, one position behind VCU.
Although the two Richmond programs are not scheduled to face each other during the holiday showcase, their participation gives local supporters an opportunity to evaluate both teams against outside competition.
## Seven Games Across Three Days
The venue's published schedule includes:
| Date | Matchup | Time | |---|---|---| | Friday, Nov. 27 | Richmond vs. St. John's | 2:30 p.m. | | Friday, Nov. 27 | Dayton vs. Florida State | 5:30 p.m. | | Friday, Nov. 27 | VCU vs. Coppin State | 7:30 p.m. | | Saturday, Nov. 28 | VCU vs. Ohio State | Noon | | Saturday, Nov. 28 | Dayton vs. St. John's | 2:30 p.m. | | Saturday, Nov. 28 | Richmond vs. Coppin State | 5 p.m. | | Sunday, Nov. 29 | VCU vs. Florida State | Noon |
All times are Eastern. The organizer and venue advise that game times and matchups are subject to change.
## More Than a Holiday Basketball Tournament
The event's organizers describe the showcase as a celebration of women's basketball, competition and culture.
For Central Virginia, hosting an event featuring several Division I programs creates opportunities beyond the games themselves.
Young basketball players can watch high-level collegiate competition, local families can experience women's basketball together, and regional supporters can see their hometown programs compete against teams from other conferences.
The showcase also continues Henrico's growing role as a destination for organized basketball events.
With the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament scheduled to return to Henrico in March 2027, the region has multiple opportunities to host significant women's college basketball competition during the upcoming season.
For Richmond basketball fans, Thanksgiving weekend offers something special: three days of college hoops, major visiting programs and two hometown teams representing the city.
## Sources
4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic — Official Event Information: https://4thaculturehoops.com/
Henrico Sports & Events Center — Official Event Schedule: https://www.henricocenter.com/event/all-session-pass-4-tha-culture-womens-holiday-hoops-classic/tm_vv177z_kgkw3t6sr/
VCU Athletics — Spencer, Knežević Earn Preseason Atlantic 10 Honors: https://vcuathletics.com/news/2026/10/19/womens-basketball-spencer-kne-evi-earn-preseason-a10-honors.aspx
University of Richmond Athletics — Ally Sweeney Preseason First Team: https://richmondspiders.com/news/2026/10/19/womens-basketball-sweeney-named-to-preseason-all-atlantic-10-first-team
University of Richmond Athletics — 2026–27 Schedule: https://richmondspiders.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule/2026-27