Photos by Nick Rampe After a season of turnover, Belmont men's basketball is finding its footing. The team has announced the returns of Jack Smiley, Cooper Haynes, Isaiah West, Eoin Dillon, Jabez Jenkins and Graydon Lemke in recent days. Additionally, three key staff changes were announced. Brendan Mullins, who spent last year as Murray State's associate head coach, will share that title with Brian Ayers at Belmont in the upcoming season. Ja'Darius Harris, who worked with Bra

Belmont Vision Multimedia. (Zach Watkins) Tennessee Youth Poet Laureate Zoe Ward has wasted absolutely no time during her year-long tenure. She’s both promoting literary initiatives all over the state of Tennessee and making a name for herself as a creator and writer. Her literary initiatives focus on encouraging and uplifting young writers in their craft, while also providing supportive spaces in which they can connect with one another. “It can be really hard to find a conce

Photo courtesy of Greenroom PR (Bree Marie Fish) Belmont University alumni and country music superstar Russell Dickerson is gearing up for one of the biggest tour runs of his career. Dickerson is set to embark on the third leg of his “Russellmania” tour, featuring a stretch of headline shows and new music that continues to define his sound. Dickerson transferred to Belmont his junior year after two years at Middle Tennessee State University. The experience in Nashville mar

Freely Fest Logo (Freely Fest) Bridgestone Arena will host the inaugural Freely Fest, a musical event designed to help bridge a widening gap in constitutional comprehension among music fans. The Killers, T-Pain, and Dominic Fike will headline the sold-out festival Wednesday night. The organizers say the music is a "universal language" used to spark a much-needed dialogue about the First Amendment. Put on by the nonpartisan nonprofit Freedom Forum, the festival comes at a

Belmont Vision Multimedia. (Zach Watkins) Nashville is the No. 4 best city in the South, according to a Southern Living magazine readers’ poll with over 17,000 respondents. “Out of all the cities in the South I've been to, Nashville is definitely one of my favorites,” said freshman Ella LeGrange. Sophomore Mallory Piedmont, freshman Zion Graybill and freshman Abigail Ryan are from various Southern cities. All three said they agree that Nashville is one of the best

Belmont faculty and staff at Wellness Day. (Georgina America) From free dental checkups to massages, Wellness Day treated Belmont faculty and staff to a morning of community and self-care. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for employees to come, get engaged and to learn about how they can take care of their holistic well-being through the benefits offered to them just by being on Belmont’s campus,” said Chance Ryon, HR Operations and Engagement Manager in the Office of

Belmont Vision Multimedia. (Zach Watkins) Samuel Sherman, a Belmont graduate student, U.S. Army Veteran and drummer died on Monday. Sherman was 39 years old and most known for his big heart and joyful spirit. “You’ve brought so much joy into so many people’s lives and I wish so badly that you could’ve seen it,” said Lyssa Coulter, Sherman’s fiancée, in an Instagram post. The two made music together, with Sherman being the drummer behind Coulter’s vocals. Samuel

Evan Bradds. (Quinn Wells) The Prodigal Son has returned. Evan Bradds officially became Belmont's third men’s basketball coach of the last 40 years, following Rick Byrd and Casey Alexander, and the 11th overall on Wednesday. “To say this is a dream come true doesn’t do that term any justice,” said Bradds during his introductory press conference at the Crockett Center. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I’d be standing here before you guys today. This opport

Two freshmen in Belmont’s Curb College announced in late 2025 that they’re starting River & Row Management, an independent female-run management company. Students Emma Harger and Annie McNamara announced this in late 2025. “We want to be the first in the line of fire when it comes to safety, especially in live music. There are so many instances where you are taken advantage of, your intelligence is watered down,” Harger said. Harger has experience managing live music through

The stage at Goth Prom. (Ava Burns) The bass billowed from the venue, masking the sounds of bowling pins being knocked over and drinks being made at the bar. People in fairy costumes to knights in shining armor lined up, ready for a night of excitement. The electric music reverberated in the chests of the audience, and lyrics soared through the air. This is goth prom, an annual event hosted by East Side Bowl which celebrates a traditionally underrepresented group of people. T

Team celebrates after Brady Holbrook’s walk-off hit. (Reece Leddy) Belmont’s baseball team won its first conference series of the season after going 2-1 against the University of Illinois Chicago Flames in a homestand over the weekend. On the heels of a six-game losing streak and a bitter defeat to rival Lipscomb, the Bruins headed into this series looking to right the ship and get back in the win column. “I think it was very much better, but still not all the way where

Sanaa Tripp. (Nick Rampe) Sophomore guard Sanaa Tripp has announced her plans to enter the transfer portal. "I want to genuinely thank my coaches, teammates and Bruin fans for their amazing support and love along the way," she said in a social media post. "The relationships I've built and the memories I've made are something I will cherish forever." She averaged 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season. Tripp saw a massive increase in playing

Jailyn Banks. (Nick Rampe) Women's basketball guard Jailyn Banks announced her plans to enter the transfer portal on her social media. "I'm incredibly blessed and appreciative for the last three years I have spent at Belmont. My teammates, coaches, the training staff and the fans have welcomed me with open arms and supported me throughout the last three years," the post read. The Spring Hill, Tennessee native was Belmont's leader in points per game this season, averaging 15.4

Headshots via Belmont Athletics. Graphic via Hutcherson's X account. Casey Alexander's getting the band back together in Manhattan, Kansas. The Kansas State Wildcats already brought Kerron Johnson over, and now assistant coaches JJ Butler and Luke Smith, director of analytics Bryce Haase and strength coach Lee Scott are set to join their staff for the 2026-27 season. Additionally, former three-star Belmont commit Devin Hutcherson requested his National Letter of Intent releas

Customers line up at In-N-Out. (Austin Embry) Waiting for two hours in near-freezing weather for a fast-food burger sounds like insanity to most, but I would sleep on the cold pavement for a bite. Of course, I could opt for the drive-thru line instead, but it raises the wait time to four hours. Even the merchandise stands lines begin to overflow too, making the newly-paved lot even more of a maze. Employees chat with antsy patrons and hand out free paper hats while they tal

Sam Orme. (Nick Rampe) Sophomore forward Sam Orme has announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 12.7 points and five rebounds per game this season. He made 19 more starts this season than he did his freshman year and saw increases in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage, shooting 55.9% and 39.7% respectively. He was named to the 2024-25 MVC All-Freshman Team and the 2025-26 All-MVC Second Team. Orme is the fifth Belmont men’s

Madison Cunningham, photo by Sean Stout Madison Cunningham’s fourth studio album, “Ace , ” signals many changes in Cunningham’s musical style. Cunningham is known for her work with Lucy Dacus, Jacob Collier, Remi Wolf, and even opening for Harry Styles and John Mayer. Mayer even called her a “monster guitar player” in a “standalone appreciation post of @madicunningham” following the end of their shows together. Her second studio album, “Revealer,” won her the Grammy for B

Mike Sprockett. (Sam Dicus) Belmont’s baseball team was unable to defend E.S. Rose Park in a 4-1 loss to rival Lipscomb in the second Battle of the Boulevard game this season on Tuesday. Of the 17 games since the Bruins’ 8-2 loss against Lipscomb on February 24, the Bruins have dropped 11 of them, including six straight. Amid the six-game slide, Belmont has been outscored by its opponents 53-16, and head coach Dave Jarvis did not mince words when talking about the offense. “I

Readers at Silent Book Club. (Abby Thomas) Candles dance atop a glorious dark chocolate, Earl Grey cake decorated with bright red flowers and fat juicy blackberries: A birthday cake. For a book club. Silent Book Club celebrates its second birthday in the warm glow of The Sun Room at the Drift Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Although, “silent” remains up for debate. WNXP’s Marquis Munson DJs on the edge of the room, surrounding the readers in the subtle sounds of Olivia D

Brigham Rogers. (Nick Rampe) Junior forward Brigham Rogers will enter the transfer portal, according to his agent Jack Shaughnessy. Rogers finished this season with career highs in points per game, assists per game and tied his career high for rebounds. He also led the team in field goal percentage, shooting 72.5%. The 6-foot-9 forward spent all three of his seasons at Belmont. He saw a diminished role this season, starting 12 games compared to 30 in the 2024-25 season. He wa