Big South Adds Bryant University as Associate Football Member
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) -- The Big South Conference has added Bryant University as an associate member in football effective with the 2022 season, it was announced this evening. Upon entry, the Bulldogs will be immediately eligible for the conference championship and automatic berth to the FCS playoffs.
“Bryant University’s commitment to success in FCS football is real,” said Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander. “From program growth, to personnel, to planned facility improvements, the Bulldogs are impressive in their approach to striving for, and achieving, excellence. Bryant will be an outstanding member of Big South Conference football, and we look forward to welcoming them for the 2022 season.”
Bryant, which began football in 1999 at the Division II level, competed as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) from 2009-2021, and will make the necessary upgrades to meet the requirements of being a full scholarship FCS program in 2022.
Beginning in 2022, the Big South’s football membership will be comprised of full-time members Campbell University (Buies Creek, N.C.), Charleston Southern University (Charleston, S.C.) and Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, N.C.), plus three associate football-only institutions in Bryant (Smithfield, R.I.), North Carolina A&T (Greensboro, N.C.) and Robert Morris (Moon Township, Pa.).
Bryant is 126-113 overall, 78-71 at the Division I level and was 47-39 as a member of the NEC. The Bulldogs have featured four student-athletes that were finalists for FCS Awards, including Zevi Eckhaus, a 2021 finalist for the Jerry Rice Award. In addition, Bryant has had nine student-athletes win major Northeast Conference awards and 53 student-athletes earn All-NEC plaudits since 2008. Bryant has also had five players earn All-American honors and two others earn Hero Sports Freshman All-American accolades.
“Bryant’s ascent from a regional university to a national destination school is gaining momentum,” said Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “In accepting an invitation from the Big South Conference for Football, the University is now affiliated with an exemplary leader in college athletics, dedicated to developing student-athletes through the pursuit of excellence in the classroom, community and competition.”
“This is a great day for our department and for our football program,” Bryant University Director of Athletics Bill Smith added. “I am incredibly grateful to Commissioner Kallander for giving us the opportunity to join a conference with a rich history of competitive success that has produced some of the nation’s top teams over the last several years. This is a great opportunity for our football program to take the next step in its evolution and for our school to continue to grow its footprint across the country. We are excited to build new rivalries in the Big South and look forward to competing for championships.”
The Bulldogs are coached by Chris Merritt, who was introduced as the program’s fourth head coach on Dec. 20, 2018. In three seasons, Merritt has guided Bryant to a 13-14 overall record -- including a 7-4 mark in 2021 that marked the program’s most wins since 2014. The Bulldogs went 5-2 in the NEC last season, their most conference victories since 2011. Merritt and his coaching staff have produced 14 All-Northeast Conference selections, an NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year and an NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bryant's defense has seen a resurgence in Merritt's three seasons, ranking 14th nationally in third down defense, 22nd in rushing defense and 26th in scoring defense. The Bulldogs also had a breakout year offensively in 2021, finishing first in the NEC with 30.0 points per game, while ranking 13th nationally in third down offense and 18th in redzone offense.
“On behalf of the entire Bryant Football program, we are excited to join the Big South Conference in the fall of 2022,” said Merritt. “I would like to thank President Gittell and Director of Athletics Bill Smith for their support in the elevation of our program that coincides with the school’s vision of expanding our footprint on the east coast. Our student-athletes and coaches are excited for the new challenge and we look forward to joining our new home in the Big South.”
Tom Kennedy became the first Bryant football player to make an active 53-man roster in the National Football League, and the first to appear in an NFL regular-season game. Kennedy has appeared in 13 games in three seasons with the Detroit Lions, catching six passes for 54 yards this past season. He also threw a 75-yard touchdown pass in the 2021 regular-season finale.
Among the nation’s premier FCS conferences, the Big South has advanced in the FCS Playoffs nine times in the last 11 tournaments -- including five trips to the quarterfinals since 2013, and has recorded multiple postseason bids five times since the league first received an automatic bid in 2010. In addition, the Big South has had a member ranked in the FCS Top 25 national rankings in 142 of the last 146 polling weeks. The Big South had the Jerry Rice National Freshman of the Year in 2017 (Kennesaw State’s Bryson Armstrong), the Walter Payton Award Runner-Up twice (Kennesaw State’s Chandler Burks in 2018 and Stony Brook’s Miguel Maysonet in 2012), as well as another Top 3 Payton Award finalist in 2019 (Monmouth’s Pete Guerriero). Since sponsoring football in 2002, the Big South has six FBS wins to its credit (all since 2010), 10 NFL Draft selections, 260 total All-Americans and 15 total Academic All-American honorees. The Big South and Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) signed a letter of intent on Feb. 22 to create an association of their football member institutions to begin in 2023. The unique agreement combines the two conference’s football membership to ensure NCAA championship access.
The Big South will announce its 2022 football schedule in the near future.
ABOUT BRYANT UNIVERSITY (www.bryant.edu)
For nearly 160 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. The University delivers a uniquely integrated academic and student life experience with nationally recognized academic programs at the intersection of business, STEM and the liberal arts. Located on a 428-acre contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students from 38 states and 49 countries. Bryant is recognized as a leader in international education and regularly receives top rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, College Factual, and Barron's. Visit https://www.bryant.edu/.