Bryant’s women’s basketball team starts the calendar year in 2026 with its America East opener and the men‘s team opens defense of its league and tournament titles with a rematch.
The Bulldogs received their conference assignments in an Aug. 20 release. Bryant’s women lock up with New Hampshire to celebrate New Year’s Day while the men visit Maine in an early headlining date Jan. 3.
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Chace Athletic Center will host the Bulldogs and Wildcats as part of a stretch that sees the Bryant women play four of their first six in Smithfield. The Black Bears follow on Jan. 3, Albany visits on Jan. 10 and NJIT arrives on Jan. 17 as part of an immediate test. Maine and the Great Danes both played at or near the top of the standings throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Bryant women’s basketball coach Lynne-Ann Kokoski huddles with her team in a 2024 game in Smithfield.
The Bulldogs play three straight on the road against New Hampshire, Albany and the Black Bears as the calendar flips to February. Bryant travels to the Wildcats on Jan. 31 and returns north against Maine on Feb. 7, two dates that sandwich a Feb. 5 trip to Albany. UMass Lowell visits Feb. 12 to break that stretch and Vermont comes in for Valentine’s Day some 48 hours later.
The Bulldogs closed 17-15 overall last season and 9-7 in the conference. Bryant beat Binghamton in its tournament opener before falling on the road in the semifinals against the Catamounts. There was still one more game to be played, with the Bulldogs earning a selection to the WNIT and suffering a 59-58 home setback to Army.
New men’s basketball coach Jamion Christian greets Jayden Brown last spring.
Bryant’s men will be looking to pick up where they left off last season when they take on the Black Bears. Bryant stormed to a 79-59 victory over Maine in the conference title game, cutting down the nets at home while securing a second NCAA Tournament bid in three years. It was a third straight double-digit win in as many league tournament games, and the Bulldogs closed 17-2 overall against conference opponents.
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Bryant welcomes UMass Lowell for its league home opener on Jan. 8, part of a schedule that sees the Bulldogs play six of their eight league games on campus by the first week of February. The Great Danes and Maine visit on Feb. 5 and Feb. 7, respectively, giving Bryant two straight against its semifinal and championship foes from a season ago.
The Bulldogs will be starting fresh after an 87-62 defeat against Michigan State in March Madness, a long night in Cleveland that also spelled the end for coach Phil Martelli Jr. He was hired away by VCU after going 43-25 in two seasons, and Jamion Christian arrived as his successor after a previous job in the Italian professional ranks. Christian will bid to become the third straight Bryant men’s coach to reach the postseason, following Jared Grasso and Martelli.
Specific game times and broadcast information will be available at a later date. Visit bryantbulldogs.com for additional information.
Bryant University men’s basketball conference schedule
Jan. 3 at Maine
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Jan. 8 UMass Lowell
Jan. 10 at Albany
Jan. 15 UMBC
Jan. 19 at NJIT
Jan. 24 Vermont
Jan. 29 at Binghamton
Jan. 31 New Hampshire
Feb. 5 Albany
Feb. 7 Maine
Feb. 12 at UMass Lowell
Feb. 14 at Vermont
Feb. 19 Binghamton
Feb. 26 at UMBC
Feb. 28 NJIT
March 3 at New Hampshire
Bryant University women’s basketball conference schedule
Jan. 1 New Hampshire
Jan. 3 Maine
Jan. 8 at UMass Lowell
Jan. 10 Albany
Jan. 15 at UMBC
Jan. 17 NJIT
Jan. 24 at Vermont
Jan. 29 Binghamton
Jan. 31 at New Hampshire
Feb. 5 at Albany
Feb. 7 at Maine
Feb. 12 UMass Lowell
Feb. 14 Vermont
Feb. 19 at Binghamton
Feb. 26 UMBC
Feb. 28 at NJIT
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bryant men’s and women’s basketball America East schedule
