Belmont University

At Belmont University, the modern women’s sports era all started with one person—Betty Wiseman, or as I like to call her, “B-Dub.” Betty was a great high school basketball player in the 1960s, and was even offered a spot on the Nashville Business College team. But because she wanted to be a teacher, she chose Belmont and majored in health and physical education. She stayed on to teach at Belmont after graduation and two years later, founded the women’s basketball team.

The program became official in 1968, making Belmont the first college in the state to have a competitive basketball team. There were no rules about eligibility and numbers were low, so Betty played and coached that first year. They competed in the AAU league against teams like Nashville Business College. In 1970, Belmont joined the Tennessee College Women's Sports Federation (TCWSF) and later the AIAW in 1972. You’ll hear more about these organizations on our UT-Martin and University of Memphis stops.

Women’s sports exploded as the “Daughters of Title IX” entered high school and college in the mid-1990s. That was also true at Belmont. Women’s volleyball, softball, track and field, golf, and soccer were added between 1992 and 1998. In fact, it was soccer that brought me to Belmont in 1998, as I joined the second ever women’s soccer team at Belmont.

In 2013, Betty Wiseman retired as the Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant AD. As the Associate Athletic Director, I am so grateful to Betty for the trail that she blazed for me and so many others. Today, Belmont competes in 8 NCAA Division I sports for women, and offers first-class facilities like the Curb Event Center and the Crocket Center for Athletic Excellence. Check out our upcoming game day schedules to attend an event! To learn more about Belmont’s history take our Belmont-Hillsboro-Vanderbilt walking tour or Athens of the South driving tour.

This stop marks the conclusion of the Nashville portion of the tour. The remaining nine stops highlight other Tennessee cities and important figures like Pat Summitt, Wilma Rudolph, Bettye Giles, Elma Roane and many more. Consider making a day trip or if you don’t have time, take the remainder of the tour virtually. Each stop begins with the address so you can use your own navigation to get there.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this part of the tour on Nashville Sites. Consider making a small donation using the yellow button at the top, take another of our 30+ tours, tag us on social media @NashvilleSites, and spread the word!

The next stop will explore Cheatham County and the early life of Pat Summitt. Feel free to stop by the Cheatham Co. Sports Hall of Fame (188 John Mayfield Drive, Ashland City) or drive by Cheatham Co. Central High School (1 Cub Cir, Ashland City) on your way to the Pat Head Summitt historical marker located at 4203 Hazel Dr. Use caution when stopping at the mile marker as it is located on a highway!