Men's Basketball to Host Don Meyer Classic on ESPNU
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - - Belmont men’s basketball will host Northern State University in the inaugural Don Meyer Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU, the network announced Thursday.
The game serves to honor Meyer, who retired as head coach of Northern State following the 2009-10 season as the all-time NCAA wins leader in men’s basketball with 923.
Meyer, who was awarded the Jimmy V Award For Perseverance at the 2009 ESPY Awards for his courage in returning to coaching following a Sept. 2008 car crash that cost him his left leg as well as his example battling through cancer of the liver and intestines, and most recently received the 2010 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for significant contributions to the sport., is an extremely respected figure in Nashville having directed Lipscomb men’s basketball from 1975-99.
That is where Meyer and Belmont men’s basketball head coach Rick Byrd formed a lifelong friendship and mutual respect, taking the ‘Battle of the Boulevard’ rivalry between Belmont and Lipscomb to new heights. Both men led their respective programs to the top of NAIA basketball, with Boulevard games becoming ‘Must Attend’ events.
Meyer and Byrd coached against each other 37 times, perhaps none more notable than Feb. 17, 1990 when Belmont and Lipscomb packed Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym in what remains the largest-attended basketball game in NAIA history.
“I am honored that ESPN has decided to televise the Northern State at Belmont game,” said Meyer. “Not only will this highlight two great basketball programs and academic institutions, it provides an opportunity for Carmen and me to return to Nashville to be with our children and grandchildren, along with many friends we made while working at Lipscomb. It will be fun to visit with Coach Byrd – he is a great coach and a greater friend.”
The game between Belmont and Northern State coincides with the release of a new book on Coach Meyer by ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney entitled How Lucky You Can Be, The Story of Coach Don Meyer. Olney covered Coach Meyer, as well as Belmont-Lipscomb games, for the Nashville Banner.
“Don is one of the most influential people within the college coaching ranks,” said Olney. “If you talk to Pat Summitt, Bob Knight or Tubby Smith, they will all tell you how important he is to the sport and the people he has touched. Within the collegiate coaching circles, he is considered a legend. I have seen what an incredible impact he has had on the lives of the players he coached and people that worked around him.”
In fact, Belmont men’s basketball assistant coach Brian Ayers played for Coach Meyer at Lipscomb from 1989-93. Moreover, Belmont men’s basketball associate head coach Casey Alexander played against Meyer’s Lipscomb teams as a point guard for Belmont from 1991-95.
“It is a privilege to be the host for the Don Meyer Classic,” Byrd said. “Don has influenced basketball more in the state of Tennessee than any coach I know. Our ‘Battle of the Boulevard’ games were certainly the most intense games I have ever coached in. For Belmont to play a part in honoring Don Meyer for his accomplishments and his courage, as well as hosting a nationally-televised game on ESPNU against Northern State, makes this a big night for our university.”
This marks the third time Belmont will host a nationally-televised basketball game; Belmont hosted the 2004 and 2005 Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championship games carried on ESPN.
Veteran play-by-play announcer Dave O'Brien will call the game, along with college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla and contributing analyst Olney.
ESPNU is a 24-hour college sports television network which televises more than 650 live events annually and offers over 400 original studio shows. ESPNU has seen a dramatic increase since its inception on March 4, 2005 and is now in over 73 million households. The brand is also available in high definition on ESPNU HD, now in over 17 million homes.
For middle Tennessee area Comcast subscribers, ESPNU can be found on digital channel 712 or in high definition on digital channel 285.
Northern State University is located in Aberdeen, S.D., and is an NCAA Division II member institution.
The game will be an exhibition contest and will not be counted towards Belmont or Northern State’s season records.
For information on purchasing season tickets, contact the Curb Event Center Box Office at (615) 460-BALL or visit the Bruins Online at www.belmontbruins.com.
Belmont University
Ranked in the Top 5 in the Regional Universities South category and named for the third year as one of the top “Schools to Watch” by U.S. News & World Report, Belmont University is a fast-growing community of more than 5,900 students who come from every state and 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. The university’s purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 20 master’s programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.
