The University of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane Bullets have announced an education partnership that will launch this Saturday when the Bullets take on the Cairns Taipans at UniSC Arena in a pre-season challenge.
The exciting multi-year agreement between UniSC and the National Basketball League (NBL) club reflects mutual interests in the geographic corridor from the Fraser Coast down to Moreton Bay and the state capital Brisbane.
As well as appearing on the Bullets’ uniform and at game days, UniSC and the Bullets will offer work-integrated learning opportunities for students, partner on research collaborations and deliver community engagement opportunities on site at UniSC.
UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett announced the partnership as the Bullets prepared to tip-off the 2026-27 season.
“We are proud to offer our support and expertise to an organisation that similarly recognises the wonderful potential of our region and wants to play a central role in its development,” Professor Bartlett said.
“For our students, this partnership will open doors to practical learning in a professional sporting environment and create valuable opportunities to build industry connections that can support their future careers.”
Among the study pathways that stand to benefit from the partnership are sports and exercise science, nutrition and dietetics, marketing and communications and the new UniSC program in international sports management.
The Bullets partnership adds to an impressive stable of elite-level sporting partnerships for UniSC, including with the Dolphins National Rugby League club, the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Super Netball, and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS).
A heightened appetite for basketball throughout the UniSC catchment made the Bullets relationship particularly compelling.
Professor Bartlett said UniSC already had a strong basketball presence in the national University Basketball League (UBL) and now had a direct touchpoint to the professional level.
“Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, championing diversity, equal opportunity, and incredible athleticism,” Professor Bartlett said.
“Across the region, demand for basketball courts and coaching remains strong.
“Like tertiary education, we know that sport has the power to be transformative, for individuals and for broader society.”
Season 2026-27 marks the 20th anniversary of the Bullets’ most recent NBL championship, and a booming regional population, and continued infrastructure improvements bode well for the future.
Brandon Matukas, Brisbane Bullets’ GM Commercial, said he was excited to confirm the partnership with UniSC.
“We’re thrilled to welcome UniSC as our Official Education Partner,” he said.
“This collaboration is about creating genuine opportunities for students and strengthening the nationally renowned reputation of the University.
“We believe it’s important to collaborate with local institutions with whom we share a community, and it is a source of great pride to be working with UniSC as we move forward towards NBL27 and the future.”
Looking beyond the immediate season, UniSC and the Bullets are hugely excited about the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the public interest, participation and investment that it will bring to the region.
