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) and competes at the NCAA Division I level. The Bradley mascot is Kaboom! the Gargoyle, and the school colors are red and white.
Sports sponsored
Steven Yellin at Bradley University -
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 1998. Men's basketball debuted in 1902â€"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.
A member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Bradley University sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports. 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).
Basketball
Bradley is best known for its college basketball success. Bradley has been to eight NCAA tournaments, including two national championship games, three Elite 8s, and four Sweet 16s. Bradley has an overall NCAA Tournament record of 11-8.
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.
Football
The Bradley Braves football program was initiated in 1897, concomitant with the school's founding; three games were played by the fledgling squad, resulting a in 0-3-0 record. The Braves continued to field a gridiron team every year, with exception of the interruption of WW2 (1943â€"45), through the 1970 season. Upon the retirement of Coach Billy Stone, coupled with other considerations, the football program was at that point discontinued.
Facilities
- Baseball â€" Dozer Park
- Basketball (men's) â€" Carver Arena @ Peoria Civic Center
- Basketball (women's) â€" Renaissance Coliseum
- Cross country â€" Detweiller Park & Newman Golf Course
- Golf â€" WeaverRidge Golf Course
- Soccer â€" Shea Stadium
- Softball â€" Laura Bradley Park
- Tennis â€" The Clubs at River City & David Markin Tennis Courts
- Track & field (indoor/outdoor) â€" no home facilities
- Volleyball â€" Renaissance Coliseum
Braves in the pros
Basketball
- Chet Anderson
- Bob Carney
- Danny Granger, played basketball at Bradley; later transferred to New Mexico before playing in the NBA
- Hersey Hawkins
- Patrick O'Bryant
- Anthony Parker
- Roger Phegley
- Marcus Pollard, played basketball at Bradley; played football for his pro career
- Ray Ramsey, played basketball and football at Bradley; played two games in the BAA (now NBA) before fully committing to football for the rest of his career
- Chet Walker
- Lawrence Wright
Baseball
- Mike Dunne
- Mike Grace
- Lee Handley
- Guy Hoffman
- Jim Lindeman
- Brandon Magee
- Zach Monroe
- Kirby Puckett
- Bryan Rekar
- Rob Scahill
- Brian Shouse
- Mike Tauchman
- Bill Tuttle
Football
- Pat Brady
- Don Carothers
- Harry Jacobs
- Dick Jamieson
- Joe Prokop
- Ray Ramsey
- Billy Stone
Soccer
- Stephen Brust
- Salim Bullen
- Bryan Gaul
- Gavin Glinton
- Luke Kreamalmeyer
- Bryan Namoff
- Tim Regan
Fan Zone
The Bradley Red Sea is the official Bradley Athletics student cheering section. Red Sea membership is $30 and includes tickets to all men's basketball home games, as well as a Red Sea t-shirt and member cards which allow the user to attend a men's basketball road game. Red Sea partners with the Student Activities Budget Review Committee to hand out giveaways at sporting events throughout the school year. Members can become part of the executive board, which gives them a chance to communicate with the coaches about what they want for their upcoming season. The Red Sea is part of, and in charge of, the Shea Brigade, which was created in the spring semester of 2015. This is a cheering section for anyone who would like to cheer on the Bradley Braves soccer team.