HOMECOMING | Bellarmine to move its basketball games back to Knights Hall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Bellarmine University basketball program is moving its home games back to campus.

After moving into Freedom Hall when the program jumped to the NCAA Division I level, the Knights had success in the venerable facility — including winning the ASUN Tournament championship there in 2022.

It also allowed the program to play in front of fans in the COVID-19 season of 2021. But the 18,000-seat facility proved far larger than the program's needs. While its attendance has grown since its Division II days of playing in Knights Hall on campus, it didn't approach the capacity of Freedom Hall.

In the end, many longtime Bellarmine fans missed the program's cozy campus home in the Highlands, and students found it difficult to get to games off campus.

The announcement came on Wednesday, as the school announced the completion of its full transition to the NCAA Division I level.

"Freedom Hall has been a great home for Bellarmine's women's and men's basketball programs during our transition to NCAA Division I, and we're grateful to Kentucky Venues for delivering a first-class experience for our student-athletes and fans," Scott Wiegandt, Bellarmine's director of athletics, said in a news release Wednesday. "Bringing the Knights back to the Highlands will allow our students to fully experience the atmosphere of Division I basketball without leaving campus, satisfy fans who have missed the venue's rowdy experience, bring added convenience to our student-athletes, and provide additional game-day revenue to neighborhood businesses while offering basketball fans in the surrounding neighborhoods an excellent entertainment option at a comparatively affordable price point."

Bellarmine moved into its on-campus arena in 1960. Along with its return to the arena will come some upgrades. The school is completing facility improvements that include a new entertainment space on the stage, a center-hung video board, a new scorer's table with video capability and television monitors in the lobby and terrace level.

At the completion of the Division I reclassification process, Bellarmine president said the move has been beneficial.

"I am proud to announce that, through the hard work and vision of many, Bellarmine has earned its place at the top level of intercollegiate athletics," Donovan said. "As we have seen repeatedly over the past four years, this move has allowed us to compete against the best in college sports, and it has given us the chance to share the Bellarmine story with a larger audience than ever before."

Bellarmine will contact season ticket-holders with details for the 2024-25 season in September.

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