A trailblazer for women’s basketball, Betty Wiseman is the matriarch of the sport in Tennessee. In 1968, Wiseman started one of the first collegiate women’s basketball teams-and Belmont’s first women’s sports team-four years before the passage of Title IX.
Growing up in a rural farm town 40 miles north of Nashville, Betty thought her basketball career would end in 1961 when she graduated from Portland High School. She chose to attend Belmont, turning down an opportunity to play for a semi-professional team, ending any dream of playing basketball past high school.
Upon graduation in 1965, Betty was asked to join the faculty as an instructor of physical education and health. With courage and grace, she advocated for a women’s basketball program at Belmont. Against all odds and with a shoestring budget, the team played their inaugural season in 1968-69.
‘Belmont Betty’ as she’s known today blazed a trail before it was law. She dedicated her life to providing the next generation of women an opportunity for something she didn’t have. Through joy and gratitude, she built a sturdy foundation on which Belmont’s Women’s Basketball program continues to thrive.
Led today by head coach Bart Brooks, the team delighted the nation with back-to-back remarkable performances during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Knocking off No. 5 seed Oregon in double overtime, the No. 12 seed Bruins advanced farther than they ever have in the tournament, ending with a heartbreaking loss against the Lady Vols in the second round. The Bruins became only the second program to win NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons as a No. 12 seed or lower.
As Wiseman reflects on her legacy and impact on Belmont’s Women’s Basketball program, she says, “maybe the best is yet to be.”
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Credits:
Director and Editor: Noah Hanson
Producers: Lougan Bishop, Hope Buckner, April Hefner
Featuring: Betty Wiseman, Mary Ellen Pethel, Renee Schultz, Bart Brooks, Mike Strickland, Ron Bartgatze, Mattie Yokley, Scott Corley, Rick Byrd, Conley Chinn, Larry Thrailkill, Rich Tiner
Assistant Editor: Nick Schramkowski
Archival Assistance: Molly Randolph, Sam Simpkins, Julia Couch, Reanna Rice
Additional Video: Christian Sadler
Additional Score: Nathaniel Philbrick
Special Thanks: ESPN, Caroline Hanson, Greg Sage, Sally McCabe, Morgan Ostrander, Anna Cate Myers, Brian Cannady, Greg & Susan Jones, Belmont Athletics, Belmont Design Team
Archived Materials: The Land (1962), ACLF James Kilgore Films Clip 5222, National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Experts Driving: For Experts Only, [Home Movie:098950-1: MICHIGAN scenes, 1960s]
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