BY RALPH VENTRE
The Ocean State is expanding into the Big South.
Bryant University has announced its Big South Conference associate membership for the sport of football. The Bulldogs hosted an on-campus press conference to celebrate the news Thursday in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
“The Big South was a home run,” said Bryant athletic director Bill Smith during Thursday’s presser, which was streamed live online.
“Starting with the commitment to academic excellence amongst all of their schools, we also wanted to recruit the Southeast,” said Smith, who joined the University in 2006.
Bryant had been a core member of the Northeast Conference since elevating from the NCAA Division II level in 2008. The Bulldogs needed a new home for their football program since the University decided to move the bulk of its sports into the America East Conference, which does not feature pigskin amongst its sport offerings.
Playing a full conference schedule for 13 seasons, the Bulldogs posted 47-39 record against NEC members.
Bryant finished 7-4 overall in 2021, including a 5-2 mark against NEC opponents and a 4-0 record at home. The Bulldogs also faced a Division I FBS opponent for the first time in program history when they visited Akron on September 18, 2021.
Leading the conference in total offense (378.9 ypg), Bryant saw a pair of rookies emerge as go-to players.
Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus finished fourth overall in the final voting for the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award, which goes annually to the top freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision. The 6-foot-1 Californian made his first career start in Week 2 and went on to throw 21 touchdown passes to only three interceptions. Eckhaus, who won the NEC Rookie of the Week award seven times, accounted for a 62.7 completion percentage and 2,378 pass yards over 11 appearances.
Meanwhile, freshman running back Fabrice Mukendi averaged 5.9 yards per rush attempt and scored nine touchdowns on the ground.
Bryant is the fourth institution to move its football program into the Big South Conference after competing in the NEC for multiple years.
Stony Brook made the transition in 2006. Monmouth played its last NEC season in 2012 before spending 2013 as an independent and subsequently kicking off its Big South Era in 2014. Robert Morris, which, like Monmouth, was an original NEC Football member, moved to the BSC following the 2019 campaign.
Both Stony Brook and Monmouth won multiple league titles during their Big South tenures.
TALKING PIGSKIN 
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