College Sports Established
1863
Location
Smithfield, Rhode Island
College Name
Bryant University
Collegiate History
2009 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
2022 - Present / America East Conference
2009 - 2022 / Northeast Conference
Nickname
Bulldogs - Sports fans everywhere know the Bryant Bulldogs as one of the most successful teams in college sports. But many don’t know that their iconic nickname has a unique origin story.
The team was founded in 1899 by two brothers, John and William Bryant, who were passionate about athletics and wanted to create a school that could foster an environment for competitive sportsmanship. The name “Bulldogs” was chosen to represent the tenacity and strength of these early athletes, which remains true today with each new generation of players at Bryant University.
In addition to being known for its fierce athletic spirit, this university also carries deep traditions within its history, specifically those surrounding its mascot – Champ! This lovable bulldog first appeared on campus during World War II when he served as an honorary mascot for U.S. servicemen stationed nearby who had adopted him from a local shelter after his former owner went to war without him! Since then, Champ has proudly represented the Bulldogs every game day while providing loyal support from his loving home at Bulldog Stadium!
As you can see, there's more than meets the eye when understanding why this beloved team is called "the Bulldogs." With such a rich history behind them, they will always be remembered as champions and ambassadors of resilience - embodying everything we love about collegiate athletics across America!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 2022
- 2008
- 2007
-
Bryant Joins America East
On March 29, 2022, Bryant was announced as a new member of the America East Conference (AmEast), effective that July 1. It is the only private school in the AmEast following the 2022 departure of Hartford, which started a transition from D-I to Division III in 2021 and left to spend one year as a D-I independent before joining the ... -
NCAA Playoff Dominance
Bryant won the President’s Cup by over 30 points, and sent 19 out of the 22 teams into the NCAA playoffs. They also amassed a record of 292-65-6 throughout the entire year. -
Bryant Enters Northeast
On October 18, 2007, Bryant announced it would join the Northeast Conference. The move had Bryant participating as a Division I institution starting in 2008. The NCAA voted in 2012 to make the university a full member, which would allow Bryant to be eligible for NCAA Division I member postseason tournament play as well as have voting rights for its ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Bulldogs
Bryant began competing in athletics in 1904 when they joined forces with Rhode Island State College (now University) to form what is now known as Bryant University. At that time, most teams were part-time clubs playing against local competition rather than other college teams. The football team even played its home games on fields located around town!
In 1957, Bryant officially became a four-year university. He moved up from NAIA status into NCAA Division III play, where they competed for many years until finally moving up to Division I status beginning with the 1999 season under then head coach Chris Merritt, who led them through two successful seasons before retiring following 2001’s campaign which saw them finish 9th nationally out of over 200 schools participating across all divisions combined!
Since then, Coach Mike Pressler has taken over control and guided his squad through six consecutive winning campaigns highlighted by three NEC regular season titles (2008–10) plus five straight trips to postseason tournaments, including an NIT bid during the 2010–11 campaign – making it only third such invitation ever earned by any Northeast Conference program since joining D1 ranks just 12 years ago; additionally there are numerous individual awards garnered throughout this period including multiple All Americans & Academic All Americans among others…not bad for a relatively young program still finding its footing within DI landscape!
In short, If you're looking for some exciting college sports action – look no further than your backyard here at Bryant University, where we've got plenty going on both athletically & academically each day, so join us soon!!
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