Bentley Falcons Logo PNG
The sports department of Bentley University features the Bentley Falcons logo, incorporating elements of heraldry. The shield reflects the university’s effective defense of its sports interests and its persistence in pursuing victory. The large letter B in the center symbolizes affiliation with the university.
Bentley University was founded in 1917 in Boston as a business-focused school. For decades, athletics remained internal, limited to basketball, tennis, bowling, and campus events. Expansion became possible after the move to Waltham in 1968, where proper facilities were built.
In 1973, Bentley joined the NCAA Division II after competing in the ECAC and New England conferences. The opening of the Dana Center that year gave men’s basketball its first permanent home court. In 1979, Bentley helped form the Northeast-7 with AIC, Assumption, Bryant, Hartford, Springfield, and Stonehill. Athletic director Al Shields became its first commissioner until 1989.
Hockey emerged as the leading program. Starting as a club in the late 1960s, it entered ECAC Division III in 1977 and moved to NCAA Division I in 1999. The team joined MAAC and later co-founded Atlantic Hockey in 2003–2004. Home games were held at John A. Ryan Arena before the opening of Bentley Arena in 2018.
Field hockey reached the NCAA Division II final in 1981 against Pfeiffer and returned to the final several times before winning the national title in 2001 against East Stroudsburg.
Women’s basketball under Barbara Stevens defined the program from 1986 onward. She finished with 901–200 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. The 2013–2014 season ended 35–0 with a title win over West Texas A&M. Stevens reached 1,000 career wins in 2018 and entered the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2020.
Men’s basketball set a Division II regular-season streak record in 2008 after beating Saint Michael’s. Rivalries within the Northeast-10, including Assumption and AIC, shaped conference competition for decades.
Meaning and History
Since 1988, the letter “B” has become the central element of the university’s sports emblem. In the first version, a falcon, the symbol of Waltham’s teams, is placed against its background. The powerful bird is depicted flying upward, lightning in its talons. The diagonal trajectory of motion indicates the aspiration to ascend to overcome a great height. The “B” is surrounded by an open loop, highlighting the sleekness of the semi-ovals. The middle part closes and extends beyond the front legs, forming a small protruding element.
In 2013, the sports department revised the logo, giving the uppercase letter a central role. In the current version, it’s placed on a shield, vertically divided into two equal parts. The right side is black with a dark gray border; the left is blue with a white stroke. The color palette of the “B” is monochromatic. The upper and lower elements of the letter are elongated.
What is Bentley Falcons?
Bentley Falcons is the sports division of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. It includes 21 student teams. They compete in NCAA Division II, the Northeast-10 conference, and the first division of Atlantic Hockey. Among them, the football, basketball, and hockey teams are the most successful.
1988 – 2012
2013 – today
Bentley Falcons Football
The football team competes in NCAA Division II. It hosts its home matches at Bentley University’s local stadium. Bill Kavanaugh coaches the athletes.
Bentley Falcons Basketball
The most successful year for the college’s men’s basketball team was 2008. That year, the Bentley Falcons set a record for one of the longest winning streaks in the regular games of the second division. The women’s team brilliantly finished the 2013 season with a record-setting 35-0 record and won the second division of the NCAA National Championship.