College basketball in the state of Rhode Island is growing, and the Bryant Bulldogs are a big reason why. The Bulldogs were once a force at the Division II level, but now they play at the Division I level, making cheap Bryant basketball tickets tough to find. The Bulldogs have given the state of Rhode Island three college basketball teams that are serious about making waves. In a short period of time at the Division I level, the Bulldogs have already made huge strides. While still a small program, the future appears to be bright for the Bulldogs, which will make last-minute Bryant basketball tickets hard to find in the years to come.

Short History

The history of Bryant basketball only dates back to 1963. Bryant reached the NAIA Tournament in 1975 and the Division II NCAA Tournament in 1978 and 1980 but failed to win a game in any of those tournaments. Unfortunately, that was the extent of Bryant’s success on the hardwood during the 20th century.

A New Day

After the turn of the century, coaches Max Good and Tim O’Shea helped to put Bryant’s losing ways behind them. Good led the Bulldogs to the Division II NCAA Tournament in five straight seasons from 2004 to 2008, including a trip to the national title game in 2005 - although the Bulldogs lost 63-58 to Virginia Union. O’Shea then took the reins with Bryant moving to the Division I level for the 2008-09 season. After limited success for a few years, O’Shea turned the tide during the 2012-13 season, leading the Bulldogs to second place in the Northeast Conference and a bid to the CBI tournament.

On the Rise

Following O’Shea’s tenure, Jared Grasso took over at Bryant in 2018. Within four years, the Bulldogs climbed to the top of the Northeast Conference, winning both the regular-season and tournament titles in 2022, sending the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level for the first time. The following season, Bryant moved up the chain again, joining the America East Conference. That move will allow the Bulldogs to play at a high level and compete against several New England rivals on a yearly basis as the program continues to grow and compete at a high level.