Program Overview

The Lady Lions are one of the premier small college programs in the nation.

·        NAIA National Tournament Participant--2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

·        NAIA "Sweet Sixteen"--2006

·        Final NAIA Top-25 Ranking--2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (ranked 11th)

·        AAC Champions--2005, 2006, 2007

As a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA-I), Bryan College women's basketball participates at the highest level of competition while striving to seek excellence both on-and-off the court.  Our conference affiliation is the prestigious Appalachian Athletic Conference consisting of schools from Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

It is our desire to play with all of our heart, as if playing for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).  God gave our players a gift to play basketball and it is exciting to watch them fulfill their potential.  We seek talented young athletes committed to reaching their God-given potential and glorifying Christ while playing a championship-level brand of basketball.

The Women's Junior Varsity Program at Bryan College is a recent addition to the valuable athletic experience at Bryan College.  This program gives players a chance to fulfill their life-long goal of participating in collegiate athletics.  The purpose of this program is to two-fold:  (1) give individuals the opportunity to play basketball at the college level and; (2) develop skills and abilities in student-athletes so that they are better prepared to help the varsity team compete for conference championships.  Scholarships, in varying amounts, are available for those players that participate in the Bryan College basketball program.  Many of the J.V. players are invited to practice and travel with the varsity, while still others eventually become major contributors on the varsity level.  "The J.V. program is a great way for players to get playing time and learn our system", said head coach Jamy Bechler. "Most freshman that go to college to play ball end up sitting and not gaining any valuable game experience.  By playing at Bryan, there is a really good chance that you'll end up getting in games and playing significant minutes thereby developing and adjusting to the college game much quicker."  The Junior Varsity team plays 10-12 games per year and is coached primarily by Coach Bechler's top assistant.  The team members receive much of the same apparel and equipment that the varsity team receives.

The Bryan College women's basketball program offers athletic scholarships to qualified student-athletes. The amount of aid available can range from a few hundred dollars to a "full-ride". Participating in collegiate athletics is a privilege. Earning the opportunity for an athletic scholarship is a special experience. Only a very small percentage of high school athletes go on to earn athletic scholarships. The institutional aid available at Bryan College is dependent upon a variety of factors: demonstrated athletic ability, potential athletic performance, commitment, character, financial need, and academic success. Any aid offered to a student-athlete may be revoked if application for admission is denied or the S-A is declared ineligible. Athletic scholarships are one-year renewable agreements that are awarded at the discretion of the head coach of that specific sport and approved by the financial aid office. Additionally, state and federal grant money and loans are available to those students that qualify.