Lipscomb and Belmont team up for this year's Battle of the Boulevard games in support of the Penny Drive
Lacey Klotz |
As the 2015-16 basketball season kicks off for Lipscomb University, fans anxiously await the day when they can dress in their purple and gold attire, get out their noise makers and confetti, and face their greatest rivals – Belmont University.
Located less than three miles apart on Belmont Boulevard, the Battle of the Boulevard was first established in 1953 and has continued for over 50 years between the Lipscomb Bisons and the Belmont University Bruins.
Two of the most exciting and popular games each season, both schools were NAIA powerhouses in men’s basketball who leaped to NCAA Division I in the late 1990s.
Today, the two schools face-off twice a year as nonconference foes as Lipscomb is currently seated in the Atlantic Sun Conference and Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference.
This year, the games will happen Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Belmont University at 7 p.m. and on Monday, Dec. 7, at Lipscomb University at 6:30 p.m.
A new component of this year’s Battle of the Boulevard games is Lipscomb and Belmont will be teaming up together in support of The Tennessean’s Ms. Cheap and her seventh annual Penny Drive, benefiting Second Harvest.
The Penny Drive is an annual fundraiser that raises money and awareness of the fact that one million people in Tennessee are hungry, including one in four children. The Penny Drive runs through January and last year celebrated its most successful year yet, raising more than $77,000 for our neighbors in need.
At both Battle of the Boulevard games this year, Ms. Cheap, along with Second Harvest, will be present to give away cans for Lipscomb and Belmont basketball fans to donate money.
Lipscomb and Belmont cheerleaders will also pass out cans after the games for individuals to bring back to their companies, clubs, churches and schools to get their employees, friends, families, clients and others involved in a community outreach project to support Second Harvest’s initiative to feed the hungry.
Mary Hance, who writes the Ms. Cheap column in the Tennessee, is in charge of this initiative and explained how incorporating the penny drive at this year’s Battle of the Boulevard games is both a unique and fun way to help this great cause.
“This partnership is a great way for everybody to be a winner — the teams, the fans, Second Harvest and, most of all, the hungry people in our community,” said Hance. “We hope basketball fans will dig into their pockets and toss in some change (and a few bills, too) for the food bank, and then take a Penny Drive can or two home to pass along.”
Philip Hutcheson, Lipscomb’s athletic director and former men’s basketball player at Lipscomb, explained what a unique opportunity the Penny Drive is and how it will enhance an event that has been going on for so many years.
“As our rivalry of over 50 years continues with Belmont, we are very excited to team up together for this year’s Penny Drive,” said Hutcheson. “Giving back to the community is a huge part of Lipscomb’s mission, and to be able to do so at such a significant and long-established event such as Battle of the Boulevard makes this year’s games that much more special as we fight to end hunger in our city.”
Lipscomb and Belmont are two of the most storied teams in college basketball history.
Beginning Dec. 11, 1953, the first Battle of the Boulevard game was hosted at Lipscomb.
In the 1980's the rivalry grew as legendary coaches, Lipscomb’s Don Meyer and Belmont’s Rick Byrd, led the teams. The rosters were decorated with NAIA legends including Lipscomb's Darren Henrie, Philip Hutcheson, Jerry Meyer and John Pierce as well as Belmont's Joe Behling, Scott Corley, Scott Speedy and Greg Thurman.
On Feb. 17, 1990, largest Battle of the Boulevard game was played at Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym. Over 16,000 fans packed the gym to watch Lipscomb defeat Belmont 124-107 in the largest-attended basketball game in NAIA history.
Lipscomb dominated a stretch of 12 years winning 32 of 37 games between 1980 and 1992.
Following the 1996 season, the Battle was suspended for seven seasons while both schools transitioned to the NCAA.
On Jan. 27, 2004, the Battle of the Boulevard was reborn in front of 4,176 fans in Lipscomb's Allen Arena. It took an extra period, but Belmont edged Lipscomb 66-64 to start a fierce stretch of competition between the two teams.
In 2014, Belmont took both wins with 87-62 on Nov. 17 and 82-77 on Nov. 24.
Overall, Lipscomb and Belmont have played 136 games, Lipscomb with 73 wins and Belmont with 63.
For more information regarding the Penny Drive and how to get involved visit: https://secondharvestmidtn.org/pennydrive/.