The Bryant Bulldogs are the athletic teams representing Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. As of July 1, 2022, the Bulldogs compete in most National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports as members of the America East Conference (AmEast). The move to the AmEast followed a 14-year tenure in the Northeast Conference (NEC), which it joined in 2008 when it began a transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. Bryant's largest rivalry during its Division II years was Bentley College, both founders of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) and both have prominent business programs. Bryant University athletics started out as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) before it transitioned into Division II. Bryant competed in the NE-10 from the conference's founding in 1980 until 2008 when the university began the transition to Division I. In 2012, Bryant became a full Division I member.