RAMS’ MAGICAL NCAA TOURNAMENT RUN EARNS ESPY NOMINATION FOR “BIGGEST UPSET”



BRISTOL, Conn. – Music stars have the Grammys, movie stars have the Oscars. TV stars have the Emmys and sports stars have the ESPYs.

It's an exclusive list that gets to enjoy one of the best night in sports, but the VCU men's basketball team will be on that list next month. The Rams have earned an ESPY Nomination for "Biggest Upset" for their unforgettable March and their upset of top-seeded Kansas in the Southwest Regional Final.

"This is just a really cool opportunity for us and I'm blessed to be able enjoy it with some of my closest friends," senior Joey Rodriguez said. "To be invited to one of the biggest nights in sports and in the same crowd as these superstars is something we'll never forget."

Along with Rodriguez, Head Coach Shaka Smart, Jamie Skeen, Ed Nixon and Brandon Rozzell will head to Los Angeles from July 12-14th. An exclusive gathering for all the nominees will take place on July 12th and the live taping of the ESPYs on Wednesday, July 13th at Nokia Theatre.

The Black & Gold will be competing against the Seattle Seahawks' upset of the New Orleans Saints in the first round of last year's NFL playoffs, Fabricio Werdum's MMA upset of Fedor Emelianenko and Blame's upset over Zenyatta in the Breeder's Cup.

Seth Myers will be the host for the event and fans will vote for the winner of multiple categories. Voting has opened up to the public via http://espn.go.com/espys/#!/voting/.