VCU Makes 2011 Final Four By Being First Ever To Beat Five Power Conferences

Do you need yet another way to say that VCU's run to the 2011 Final Four is historic? Is it not enough to say that VCU is just the third No. 11 seed to pull it off ... or that VCU is the first team from the "First Four" to get this far ... or that VCU makes it so the Final Four will have two Mid-Majors for the first time in 32 years?

If not, here's another crazy fact for you. VCU got to the Final Four by defeating the following teams: USC (Pac-10), Georgetown (Big East), Purdue (Big 10), Florida State (ACC) and Kansas (Big 12). In case you're keeping score, that's five teams from five different power conferences, with the SEC the only one not in the picture. That's pretty neat, right?

As it turns out, it's also historic. No team has ever defeated schools from five different power conferences in the same NCAA Tournament. A few teams have defeated five power-conference teams, but never from five different power conferences. VCU fans commemorated this unique accomplishment with this dopey sign, but that is their right. Nobody can say VCU didn't earn their trip to the Final Four.