NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Belmont University Athletics celebrated its first official day as member of the Missouri Valley Conference Friday.
When Belmont University President Dr. L. Gregory Jones accepted an invitation to join the Missouri Valley Conference this past September, it marked the latest chapter in the Bruin program's quarter-century rise to prominence in NCAA Division I.
The Bruins have won 67 conference championships and earned 50 NCAA Tournament appearances (team and individual).
Belmont's proud history includes 25 All-America selections – including standout baseball student-athlete Guy Lipscomb in 2022 - with several teams receiving national Top 25 poll votes; most notably the Bruins' nationally-regarded men's and women's basketball programs.
Belmont University will begin competition in the Missouri Valley Conference this fall.
Belmont University joins Bradley University, Drake University, the University of Evansville, the University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois State University, Indiana State University, Missouri State University, Murray State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois University and Valparaiso University.
"Belmont University seeks to provide student-athletes an exemplary experience in every realm, in academics, in campus life, and of course, in their chosen sport," Jones said. "The Bruins consistently demonstrate their eagerness to excel on all fronts, as demonstrated in their recent win of the OVC Commissioner's Cup, their phenomenal history of conference academic championships and their longstanding commitment to community service. I am proud and honored for Belmont to now join the highly respected Missouri Valley Conference, as this move represents a natural next step for our programs and even brighter opportunities for our student-athletes in the days to come."
"The anticipation surrounding our transition to the Missouri Valley Conference has been building, and this day marks a culmination of years of work and decades of student-athlete achievement," said Belmont Vice President, Director of Athletics Scott Corley. "Belmont and the MVC have much in common, notably a shared belief in a holistic student-athlete experience and embracing competition at the highest level on a national stage. Our athletic department is excited for what lies ahead."
Men's basketball has won 20 conference championships since 2006 – third-most nationally over that span (Gonzaga, Kansas). Belmont is one of only four college basketball programs to win 19 or more games 17 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State).
Belmont went 145-27 in conference games over the past decade.
The Bruins have defeated the likes of North Carolina, UCLA, Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Cincinnati, Marquette, Stanford, Temple, Saint Louis and Boston College in recent years, and produced 2017 NBA Champion Ian Clark and 2019 NBA first-round draft choice Dylan Windler.
National College Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 inductee Rick Byrd coached Belmont for 33 years (1986-2019).
Women's basketball is coming off of another historic season which included a sixth conference tournament championship in seven years and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
In defeating Oregon and Gonzaga, Belmont became the second program in NCAA Division I history to earn NCAA Tournament victories in successive seasons as a No. 12 seed or lower.
Belmont earned a No. 19 national ranking from The Athletic in its 2022-23 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
The Bruins, ranked No. 22 in 2018, have defeated Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Auburn, UCF and Florida Gulf Coast in recent years as head coach Bart Brooks became one of the fastest to 100 career victories in college basketball history.
Belmont has made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances in baseball, men's tennis, women's soccer and volleyball, among others, and boasts one of the strongest cross country programs in the South.
In the classroom, Belmont has claimed its conference academic achievement award 18 of the last 20 years.
For the 2022 spring semester, Belmont posted a departmental grade-point average of 3.527 which marked the 49th consecutive semester that Belmont student-athletes have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
In fact, 12 Belmont teams have received annual honors for posting the highest cumulative team GPA in the nation.
Annually ranked among the top NCAA athletic programs in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Rate (APR), Belmont has 18 conference scholar-athlete of the year award recipients and 39 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections, including Luke Smith, Conley Chinn and JP Armbruster this past academic year.
Belmont Athletics has also established itself as a leader in community service and civic engagement.
The Bruins have taken sport evangelism mission trips to Kenya, Haiti, Brazil, Italy, Malta, Belize, South Africa, Venezuela, Ukraine and Poland, and have raised tens of thousands of dollars for Nashville Special Olympics through the annual Battle of the Bruins talent show. Belmont community partners include Nashville Rescue Mission, GraceWorks Ministries, Preston Taylor Ministries, Rocketown, Best Buddies and the Edgehill Community Center.
Heading into its 116th year of collegiate sports competition, the Missouri Valley Conference sponsors 17 sports: including men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's swimming and diving, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's and women's golf, women's tennis, softball and baseball.
The MVC is based in St. Louis, which plays host to The State Farm MVC Men's Basketball Championship – affectionately known as Arch Madness. The tournament will celebrate its 47th anniversary overall in 2023, and it will be the 33rd-straight season the event has been held in St. Louis. Only the Big East Conference (in New York City) has had a longer continuous run at a single site.
The Missouri Valley Conference brand remains very strong, both regionally and nationally, and the great athletic tradition of the Conference remains a compelling force in recruiting student-athletes and in marketing all the MVC programs.
The MVC had multiple bids in the NCAA Championship in men's basketball (2), women's basketball (2), softball (2), and baseball (2) in 2021; one of only eight conferences in America to do so.
In men's basketball, the MVC has posted 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past nine NCAA championships – including two trips to the Men's Final Four - and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994.
The MVC has been rated as a Top 12 conference nationally 18 of the last 19 years by respected college basketball analytics expert Ken Pomeroy.
Legendary sporting figures such as Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Jackie Stiles, Joe Carter and Holli Hyche have called the Missouri Valley Conference home.
In addition, the Missouri Valley Conference is a national fixture through media rights agreements with CBS and ESPN, among others, and its partnership with Learfield Sports.
Belmont University became an NCAA Division I member institution in 1996-97. After five years of transition and time as an independent, Belmont joined the Atlantic Sun Conference in the fall of 2001.
Belmont had been a member of the Ohio Valley Conference since the fall of 2012.
About Belmont University
Located two miles from downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University consists of nearly 8,800 students who come from every state and 33 countries. Consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report for innovation and commitment to undergraduate teaching, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christ-centered and student-focused community of learning and service. As a campus that aims to Let Hope Abound, the University is committed to producing graduates who are Hope Inspiring, Character Forming, Future Shaping, Community Engaging and Bridge Building people. With more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master's programs and five doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.
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