Belmont Bruins

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Belmont Bruins
Belmont Bruins logo.svg
University Belmont University
Conference Missouri Valley Conference (primary)
Horizon League (men's tennis)
NCAA Division I
Athletic directorScott Corley
Location Nashville, Tennessee
Varsity teams17 (8 men's, 9 women's)
Basketball arena Curb Event Center
Baseball stadium E. S. Rose Park
Softball stadiumE.S. Rose Park
Soccer stadiumE.S. Rose Park
MascotBruiser
NicknameBruins
ColorsNavy, white, and red [1]
     
Website belmontbruins.com
Belmont Bruins wordmark.svg

The Belmont Bruins are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Belmont University located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Bruins athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Prior to 2022, the Bruins were members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) [2] and competes at the NCAA Division I [3] level.

Contents

The program's mascot is Bruiser the Bruin, and the school colors are navy blue and red. [4] [5] The Belmont teams had been known as the Rebels until 1995, when the name was changed due to the historical implications of the name. [6]

Sports sponsored

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross countryGolf
GolfSoccer
Soccer Softball
TennisTennis
Track and field†Track and field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

A member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Belmont University sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [7] The men's tennis program joined the Horizon League for that sport shortly after Belmont joined the MVC (which sponsors tennis only for women). [8]

Basketball

The school has a heated basketball rivalry with Lipscomb University, a similarly-sized private institution in Nashville. For much of both schools' athletic histories, Belmont and Lipscomb played one another at least twice per year on a home-and-home basis (even more frequently in some years) in both men's and women's basketball. These games are nicknamed the "Battle of the Boulevard", alluding to the road connecting the two schools. [9] In 2006, with both teams battling for their first-ever NCAA tournament berths, Belmont defeated Lipscomb in overtime to win the Atlantic Sun championship 74–69. [10] The Belmont Bruins were seeded 15th in the 2006 NCAA tournament, losing in the first round to the UCLA Bruins. [11] Even though the two schools are no longer in the same conference following Belmont's 2012 move to the OVC, the games are still played twice a year for both men and women. [12] (The only other non-conference basketball rivalry in Division I with two games each season is New Mexico–New Mexico State.)

Belmont v Navy game in 2003 US Navy 031124-N-9693M-002 Navy junior guard Taj Matthews rounds Belmont senior guard Steve Drabyn during the Midshipmen's home opener at the U.S. Naval Academy.jpg
Belmont v Navy game in 2003

In 2007, Belmont won the Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball tournament for the second year in a row, defeating East Tennessee State University in Johnson City 94–67. [13] The Bruins continued to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, losing in the first round to the Georgetown Hoyas. [14] In 2008, the Bruins advanced for the third straight year to the NCAA men's basketball tournament, after winning the Atlantic Sun Regular Season as well as Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship, again earning a 15 seed, this time against the #2 seeded Duke Blue Devils. Belmont had their best tournament showing ever in this game, losing by a score of 71–70 to the Blue Devils. [15]

In 2009, the Bruins posted their first postseason men's basketball victory by beating Evansville in the CollegeInsider.com Post Season Tournament (CIT). [16]

In 2011, the Belmont Bruins Men's Basketball program posted a 19–1 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference, won the regular season conference championship, and won the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament Championship by the largest margin (41 points) in conference history. The Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament as a 13th seed, losing to Wisconsin 72–58. The Bruins' 30–5 record for the season set a new, NCAA era record for the program. [17] [18]

In 2012, the team won the Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship for the fifth time in six years, along with the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament, thus reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven years. [19] Belmont received the fourteenth seed in the Midwest Regional, losing to Georgetown 74-59. [20]

Athletic facilities

Belmont's on-campus Curb Event Center is home for the volleyball and men's and women's basketball teams. [7]

The group of stadiums at Nashville's E. S. Rose Park , located near the campus, is home for Belmont's baseball, softball, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's outdoor track and field teams.

Nashville's Percy Warner Park hosts Belmont's men's and women's cross country teams.

Belmont's men's golf team practice facility is The Little Course at Conner Lane in Franklin, Tennessee.

The on-campus Francis Bond Davis Tennis Complex is home to the Belmont men's and women's tennis teams.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horizon League</span> College sports league in the United States

The Horizon League is a collegiate athletic conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the league's eleven member schools are located in and near the Great Lakes region and in part of the Southern United States.

Richard F. Byrd is a retired American college basketball coach who served as the head coach of the Belmont Bruins men's basketball team from 1986-2019. On February 16, 2017, with the Bruins win over Eastern Kentucky, Byrd marked his 750th career win, 658 with Belmont. He retired after the 2018-2019 season with 805 wins, which ranks twelfth all-time among NCAA Division I men's basketball coaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmont Bruins men's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represents Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont completed a 10-season run in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2021–22, and joined the Missouri Valley Conference in July 2022. The Bruins play their home games at the Curb Event Center under head coach Casey Alexander. Their most recent NCAA Division I tournament appearance was in 2019.

The 2010 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The 73rd annual tournament began on March 16 on campus sites and ended on April 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Dayton won their 3rd NIT title over North Carolina, 79–68.

The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), having joined that conference in 2022 after 74 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Gulf Coast Eagles</span> Group of university sports teams

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011–12 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2011–12 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by 26th-year head coach Rick Byrd, played their home games at Curb Event Center and were in their final season as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Belmont became a member of the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament</span>

The 2013 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament was held March 6–9 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont, the winner of the 2013 OVC Men's basketball tournament, received the conference's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Clark (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Ian Patrick Clark is an American professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball at Belmont University. As a senior, Clark was the 2012–13 Ohio Valley Conference Co-Player of the Year with Murray State's Isaiah Canaan. He was third in the nation in three-point field goal shooting percentage and led the Bruins to the conference championship in the school's first year as an OVC member. In July 2013, Clark signed a two-year contract with the Utah Jazz after his performance at the Las Vegas Summer League impressed numerous teams. Clark won an NBA Championship with the Warriors in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmont Bruins women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Belmont Bruins women's basketball team represents Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. They currently play in the Missouri Valley Conference. On April 24, 2017, former DePaul assistant coach Bart Brooks was introduced as the new Bruins' head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Boulevard</span> College basketball rivalry in Tennessee, United States

The Battle of the Boulevard, also referred to as the Belmont–Lipscomb basketball rivalry is a college basketball rivalry between the Belmont University Bruins and the Lipscomb University Bisons. Its nickname was established because of both school's close placement in Nashville, Tennessee– about three miles apart on the same road. The rivalry was classified as non-conference following Belmont's departure from the Atlantic Sun Conference prior to the 2012–13 NCAA Division I basketball season. Their first meeting took place on December 11, 1953. It is one of the geographically closest rivalries in NCAA Division I.

The 2006 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament was held March 2–4, 2006 at the Memorial Center at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by 32nd-year head coach Rick Byrd, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 24–9, 15–3 in OVC play to finish in second place. They defeated Austin Peay in the semifinals of the OVC tournament to advance to the championship game where they lost to Murray State. Despite having 24 wins, they did not participate in a postseason tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Belmont Bruins women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2017–18 Belmont Bruins women's basketball team represented Belmont University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bruins, led by first-year head coach Bart Brooks, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 31–4, 18–0 in OVC play, to win the OVC regular season. They won the OVC women's tournament by defeating UT Martin and earned an automatic trip to the NCAA women's tournament where they lost to Duke in the first round. With 31 wins, they finished with most wins in school history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2019–20 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by first-year head coach Casey Alexander, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 26–7, 15–3 in OVC play to finish in a tie for the OVC regular season championship. They defeated Eastern Kentucky and Murray State to be champions of the OVC tournament. They earned the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. However, the NCAA Tournament was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2020–21 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by second-year head coach Casey Alexander, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins finished the season 26–4, 18–2 in OVC play to win the regular season championship. They defeated SIU–Edwardsville and Jacksonville State before losing to Morehead State in the OVC tournament championship game. Because of a limited National Invitation Tournament due to COVID-19, the Bruins did not receive an automatic bid to the NIT for being regular season champions. They did not receive an at-large bid to the NIT either.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2021–22 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by third-year head coach Casey Alexander, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 25–8, 15–3 in OVC play to finish in second place. They lost in the semifinals of the OVC tournament to Morehead State. They received an invite to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost to Vanderbilt in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Morehead State Eagles men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2021–22 Morehead State Eagles men's basketball team represented Morehead State University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by fifth-year head coach Preston Spradlin, played their home games at Ellis Johnson Arena in Morehead, Kentucky as members of the Ohio Valley Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006–07 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2006–07 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University in the 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by head coach Rick Byrd, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee, as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. After finishing 2nd in the conference regular season standings, the Bruins won the Atlantic Sun tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the 15th seed in the East region. Belmont was beaten by 2nd seed Georgetown in the first round, 80–55.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005–06 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2005–06 Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represented Belmont University in the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by head coach Rick Byrd, played their home games at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee, as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. After finishing 2nd in the conference regular season standings, the Bruins won the Atlantic Sun tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the 15th seed in the Oakland region. Belmont was beaten No. 2 seed UCLA in the first round, 78–44.

References

  1. ↑ Belmont University Brand Book . Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  2. ↑ "OVC Member Institutions". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Belmont University". NCAA. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Belmont University Athletics Quick Facts Information" (PDF). Belmont.PrestoSports.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 3, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Bruiser the Bruin". BelmontBruins.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Belmont Drops Rebels for Bruins". News.Google.com. The Times Daily. September 26, 1995. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Home of the Belmont Bruins". Belmount University. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Men's Tennis Accepts Affiliate Membership in Horizon League" (Press release). Belmont Bruins. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Battle of the Boulevard". Lipscomb.edu. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Belmont Punches NCAA Dance Card with OT Thriller". AtlanticSun.org. March 4, 2006. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Belmont Downed by UCLA in NCAA Opener". AtlanticSun.org. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Lipscomb, Belmont to Continue Basketball Series". LuminationNetwork.com. Lipscomb Athletics. May 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Belmont Upsets ETSU for A-Sun Title". AtlanticSun.org. March 3, 2007. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Belmont Ends Season with Loss to No. 2 Georgetown". AtlanticSun.org. March 15, 2007. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  15. ↑ "(15) Belmont 70, (2) Duke 71". ESPN.com. The Associated Press. March 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  16. ↑ Welser, Joal (March 6, 2012). "Belmont Bruins". CollegeSportsMadness.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Bruins Clinch 30-Win Season with 41-Point Title Win". AtlanticSun.org. March 5, 2011. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  18. ↑ "(13) Belmont 58, (4) Wisconsin 72". ESPN.com. The Associated Press. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on March 21, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Bruins Defeat Eagles; Headed Back to Big Dance". AtlanticSun.org. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  20. ↑ Medcalf, Myron (March 16, 2012). "Rapid Reaction: Georgetown 74, Belmont 59". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
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