Bradley Braves

The Bradley Braves are the intercollegiate athletics teams of Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, United States. The Braves' athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)[2] and competes at the NCAA Division I level.[3] The Bradley mascot is Kaboom! the Gargoyle, and the school colors are red and white.

Bradley Braves
UniversityBradley University
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
NCAADivision I
Athletic directorChris Reynolds
LocationPeoria, Illinois
Varsity teams15 (7 men's, 8 women's)
Basketball arenaCarver Arena (men's)
Renaissance Coliseum (men's and women's)
Baseball stadiumDozer Park
Softball stadiumPetersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex
Soccer stadiumShea Stadium
Other arenasThe Clubs at River City
David Markin Tennis Courts
Detweiller Park
Newman Golf Course
WeaverRidge Golf Club
MascotKaboom the Gargoyle
NicknameBraves
Fight songCharge On!
ColorsRed and White[1]
         
Websitebradleybraves.com

Sports sponsored
Men's sports Women's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCross country
Cross countryGolf
GolfSoftball
SoccerTennis
Track and field†Track and field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Bradley Polytechnic Institute opened its doors in the fall of 1897, and the school fielded a football team in that first fall and a baseball team in the spring of 1898.[4] Men's basketball debuted in 1902–03 with no coach and no home court, but was destined to become Bradley's most successful team; over the years, the Braves have played in 34 post-season tournaments, winning the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) four times and being runnersup in the NCAA and the NIT twice each and in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) and CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) once each.[5]

A member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Bradley University sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[6] Bradley is one of the only two NCAA Division I schools that sponsor men's but not women's soccer (the other being St. Francis College).

Men's basketball
Main article: Bradley Braves men's basketball

Bradley is best known for its college basketball success. Bradley has been to nine NCAA tournaments, including two national championship games, three Elite 8s, and four Sweet 16s. Bradley has an overall NCAA Tournament record of 11-9.

Bradley has been to the NIT 21 times and won it four times. Their postseason NIT record is 25-18. Only one school (St. Johns, 27 times) has been to more NITs, or won it more times (St. John's, 6 times).

Years in NIT - 1938, 1939 (third), 1947, 1949 (fourth), 1950 (second), 1957 (won), 1958, 1959 (second), 1960 (won), 1962, 1964 (won), 1965, 1968, 1982 (won), 1985, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2007

The Braves basketball squad was incidentally co-featured in a 1955 Sports Illustrated article focusing on their cheerleaders. The two-page spread, heavy with photographs taken at a tournament in New Orleans, Louisiana, keyed in on the enthusiasm and school spirit of the coeds. Perhaps as irony, Bradley's basketball team, in action vs. Holy Cross, was shot as background for their avid supporters. Holy Cross defeated the Braves in this game, 89-81.[7]

The Braves basketball team's current head coach is Brian Wardle. He became the program's 14th head coach in history in 2015 and led the Braves men's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament in 2019.[8] This came as a surprise because the Braves finished 5th out of 10 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2019. They finished with a 9-9 conference record but went on to win the conference tournament, giving the Braves the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.[9]

Football
Main article: Bradley Braves football

The Bradley football program was initiated in 1897, concomitant with the school's founding; three games were played by the fledgling squad, resulting in an 0–3 record. The Braves continued to field a gridiron team every year, with exception of the interruption of World War II (1943–1945), through the 1970 season. Upon the retirement of head coach Billy Stone, coupled with other considerations, the football program was at that point discontinued. The team played its games at Peoria Stadium.[10]

Facilities
  • Baseball – Dozer Park
  • Basketball (men's) – Carver Arena @ Peoria Civic Center
  • Basketball (men's and women's) – Renaissance Coliseum
  • Cross country – Detweiller Park and Newman Golf Course
  • Golf – WeaverRidge Golf Club
  • Soccer – Shea Stadium
  • Softball – Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex
  • Tennis – The Clubs at River City (indoor) and David Markin Tennis Courts (outdoor)
  • Track & field (indoor/outdoor) – no home facilities
  • Volleyball – Renaissance Coliseum

[11]

Braves in the pros

Basketball

Baseball

[12]

Football

Soccer

Fan Zone

The Red Sea is the Bradley Athletics official student section. The Red Sea membership, currently, is $75 and it covers all four years the student attends Bradley. When you become a member you're able to receive tickets to every home men's basketball game, which are available to pick up during the organization's "Table Times" in Bradley's Student Center or at the Ticket Office located in the Renaissance Coliseum. For non-member students, they will have to pay a dollar. Members also receive a Red Sea t-shirt as well as other giveaways that occur throughout the school year. Only members get to attend pizza and poster parties where they can interact with the board members of the Red Sea as well as some athletes from various sports. Red Sea partners with the Student Activities Budget Review Committee every semester to get funded that allows the Red Sea to have multiple giveaways each semester. Members have the opportunity to join the executive board, which gives them a chance to communicate with the athletes and coaches to see how they can help each other for their upcoming season as well as provide ideas and designs for future giveaways. The Red Sea is part of, and in charge of, the Shea Brigade, at Shea Stadium, which was created in the spring semester of 2015. This is a student section, located behind the goal, for anyone who would like to cheer on the Bradley Braves soccer team.[13]

References
  1. "Color Palette | Bradley University Marketing & Communications". Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  2. "This is the Missouri Valley Conference". Missouri Valley Conference. Archived from the original on 2015-09-15. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  3. "Bradley University". NCAA. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  4. "Bradley Baseball Records Book" (PDF). Bradley University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  5. "Bradley Basketball Records Book" (PDF). Bradley University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  6. "BRADLEYBRAVES.COM". Bradley University. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  7. Peskin, Hy (byline as photographer only) (January 17, 1955). "Give Me A B For Bradley". Sports Illustrated. 2 (3): 18–19.
  8. "Bradley Basketball Records Book (PDF)" (PDF). Bradley University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  9. "https://mvc-sports.com/standings.aspx?standings=23". mvc-sports.com. Retrieved 2019-10-20. External link in |title= (help)
  10. Reynolds, Dave. "Bradley football alumni huddle up once more". Journal Star. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  11. "Bradley Athletics Facilities". Bradley University. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  12. http://www.baseball-almanac.com
  13. "Men's Basketball". Bradley Braves.
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