Brown Bears

Last updated
Brown Bears
Brown Bears Athletics logo.svg
University Brown University
Conference Ivy League (primary)

Other conferences:

List
NCAA Division I (FCS)
Athletic directorM. Grace Calhoun
Location Providence, Rhode Island
Varsity teams28
Football stadium Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium
Basketball arena Pizzitola Sports Center
Ice hockey arena Meehan Auditorium
Baseball stadium Murray Stadium
Soccer stadium Stevenson Field
Rowing venue Hunter S. Marston Boathouse
Sailing venue Ted Turner Sailing Pavilion
MascotBruno
NicknameBears
Fight song Ever True To Brown
ColorsSeal brown, cardinal red, and white [1]
     
Website brownbears.com
Brown athletics mark 2022.png

The Brown Bears are the sports teams that represent Brown University, an American university located in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 34 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports. In football, the Bears, along with all other the Ivy League teams, compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). [2]

Contents

Varsity athletics

The Bears participate in 28 NCAA sports. The Bears first fielded a football team in 1878, playing Amherst College in their inaugural game. [3]

The Bears participate in the following varsity sports:

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Crew
Crew Cross country
Cross countryField hockey
Football Gymnastics
Ice hockey Ice hockey
Lacrosse Lacrosse
Soccer Rugby
Swimming & divingSoccer
TennisSoftball
Track & field Swimming & diving
Water poloTennis
WrestlingTrack & field
Volleyball
Water polo
Co-ed sports
Sailing
†: Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

Additions and subtractions

In 2011, a Special Committee recommended that Brown cut four varsity sports due to Brown's budget cut backs—men's fencing, women's fencing, men's wrestling, and women's skiing—and recommended elevating at least one women's sport to varsity status to ensure Title IX compliance. [4] These proposed changes would have reduced the number of varsity sports at Brown from 37 to 34. None of the four varsity programs were cut.

In May 2020, Brown announced they would transition eleven varsity programs—men's and women's fencing, men's and women's golf, women's skiing, men's and women's squash, women's equestrian, men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field and men's cross country—to club status. Women's sailing and coed sailing would become varsity programs. Brown had 38 varsity sports before the announced cuts (only Harvard and Stanford had more), but was the least successful Ivy League school, winning 2.8% of league titles from 2008 to 2018. [5]

In December 2020, the women's fencing and equestrian teams were restored to varsity status. [6]

Teams

Baseball

Men's basketball

The Brown Bears men's basketball team competes in the Ivy League. The Brown Bears have appeared in the NCAA Tournament two times, including the inaugural tournament in 1939. Their combined record is 0–2. The Brown Bears have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) one time. Their record is 0–1.

Women's basketball

The Brown Bears women's basketball team competes in the Ivy League. The Brown Bears have appeared in the NCAA Tournament once in 1994, where their record was 0–1.

Football

The Brown Bears football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Ivy League. Brown's first football team was fielded in 1878. The team plays its home games at the 20,000 seat Brown Stadium in Providence.

Ice hockey

Men's lacrosse

The Brown Bears men's lacrosse team competes in the Ivy League and plays its home games at Stevenson-Pincince Field.

Men's soccer

The Brown Bears men's soccer team compete in the NCAA Division I in the Ivy League. The Bears have been semifinalists in the NCAA tournament in 1968, 1973, and 1975. They also finished in fourth place in 1977. [7]

Water sports

Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center at Brown University.jpg
Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center

The Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center is home to Brown's swimming, diving, and water polo teams. The pool, which measures 56 meters long by 25 yards wide, opened in May 2012. [8]

Rugby

Women's rugby at Brown was originally founded as a club team, Brown Women's RFC, in 1977. [9] Brown added rugby as a varsity sport for women beginning in the 2014–15 academic year, due in part to the growth of rugby across communities and at the high school level. [10] Brown women's rugby is led by Head Coach Kathy Flores. [11]

Brown has offered men's rugby at Brown as a club sport since 1960. [12] Brown plays in the Ivy Rugby Conference against its traditional Ivy League rivals. Brown men's rugby is led by Head Coach David Laflamme. Despite its club status, Brown men's rugby is supported by an endowment raised by Brown rugby alumni that exceeds $1.5 million; this endowment funds the full-time professional head coaching position and other expenses. [12] [13]

Championships

NCAA team championships

A Brown Bears women's track and field team member Kenzii.jpg
A Brown Bears women's track and field team member

Brown has 7 NCAA team national championships. [14]

Non-NCAA team championships

Mascot

Bruno mascot costumes
Brown University mascot Bruno.jpg
Bruno in 2019
Bruno, costumed mascot of Brown Bears athletics.jpg
Bruno in 2023

Brown's first mascot was a burro, first introduced in 1902 in a game against Harvard. [18] The burro mascot was not retained after it seemed frightened by the noise of the game, and due to the laughter it provoked. [19] The university originally settled on the Bruin, but later changed it to a bear after the head of a bear was placed at an archway above the student union in 1904. [19] In 1905 The Bears introduced Helen, the university's first live bear mascot, at a game against Dartmouth. [18] Bruno, Brown's current mascot, was introduced in 1921, originally also as a live bear. [19] A number of bears represented Bruno over the years, later being represented by a person in costume by the late 60's. [19]

Notable athletes

The Bears have produced many notable athletes. One of Brown's most famous athletes is John Heisman, namesake of the Heisman Trophy. Before finishing college at the University of Pennsylvania, Heisman played college football at Brown as a lineman. [20]

Football

Baseball

Rowing

Ice hockey

Other sports

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