Effective July 1, 2022, the majority of Bryant University’s 25 Division I athletic programs will move to the America East (AE) while its football team joins the Big South Conference.

“I want to thank Commissioner [Brad] Walker and the Board of Directors in the [AE] for giving this incredible opportunity to the student-athletes, coaches and staff at Bryant University,” said Bryant Director of Athletics Bill Smith, per bryantbulldogs.com. “The [AE] consists of universities and programs that excel nationally on both the field of play and in the classroom. We are honored to become a member of this outstanding conference and will work diligently to make them proud.”

Previously, Bryant competed in the Northeast Conference (NEC) which it joined in 2008 after becoming a Division I program. The Bryant men’s basketball team recently concluded a historic season highlighted by a trip to the NCAA tournament where it was dispatched in the First Four by Wright State. The Bulldogs ended their season with a 22-10 overall record led by senior guard Peter Kiss who led all of Division I in scoring. The Bryant baseball team has also won the last nine NEC regular-season titles, including a 21-4 run in conference play last year. The school has won two NEC commissioner’s cups while earning seven straight commissioner’s cups on the men’s side.

Bryant was invited to join the AE soon after Stony Brook announced its departure from the conference. The Seawolves officially decided to join the Colonial Athletic Association earlier this year and are set to make their move official in July of 2022. With Hartford looking to transition to a Division III model, and therefore leaving the AE, by 2025, the AE conference will be left with only eight programs. Bryant’s inclusion will bring the number of AE teams to nine after Stony Brook and Hartford officially depart the conference.

Bryant is scheduled to continue its current conference competition until the end of the 2021-22 academic year.