The Brisbane Bullets have announced a new education partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast (Uni SC), creating opportunities for students to gain practical experience through Australia's professional basketball environment. The partnership was announced on 21 September 2026 and will connect the Bullets with Uni SC across Brisbane, Moreton Bay and the Fraser Coast.

The collaboration is designed to bring together professional sport and higher education, with a particular focus on practical learning, research and community programs. Uni SC students are expected to have opportunities to engage with the Brisbane Bullets through work-integrated learning activities and other programs connected with the club.

Several areas of study are expected to benefit from the partnership. These include sports and exercise science, nutrition and dietetics, marketing and communications, and international sports management. The arrangement gives students studying these subjects an opportunity to gain exposure to the professional sporting environment while continuing their university education.

The partnership will also involve joint research initiatives. Professional sporting organisations increasingly work with universities on areas such as athlete performance, nutrition, exercise science, community engagement and sports business. The new agreement provides a framework for Uni SC and the Bullets to develop projects involving students, academics and the basketball organisation.

Uni SC branding will also appear on Brisbane Bullets playing uniforms and during game-day activities under the agreement. This provides the university with a visible connection to one of Queensland's professional sporting organisations while giving the Bullets an education-focused partnership as the club prepares for the NBL27 season.

For students, one of the key features of the partnership is the potential for practical experience. University courses can provide theoretical knowledge, while work-integrated learning allows students to apply that knowledge in real-world environments. Students studying sports science, nutrition, communications and related disciplines may therefore be able to gain experience connected with the operations of a professional basketball club.

The partnership also has a community focus. Uni SC and the Brisbane Bullets operate across a region extending from the Fraser Coast through Moreton Bay and into Brisbane. The organisations said their collaboration would support community programs and broader engagement across this regional corridor.

The agreement comes as Brisbane and Queensland continue preparing for the long-term sporting and community opportunities associated with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. While the partnership is centred on basketball and education rather than the Olympic competition itself, both organisations have identified the Brisbane 2032 period as part of the wider environment in which they are developing future opportunities.

The Brisbane Bullets are also entering another NBL season, making the partnership relevant to the club's broader development plans. The agreement gives students and university researchers an additional pathway into professional sport while providing the Bullets with access to university expertise.

Uni SC Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett said the partnership would provide students with opportunities to build industry connections and gain practical experience in a professional sporting environment. Brisbane Bullets General Manager of Commercial Brandon Matukas also described the arrangement as a way to create opportunities for students and strengthen links with local institutions.

The partnership will now support education, research and community activities involving Uni SC and the Brisbane Bullets. For Brisbane's university students and sporting community, the agreement creates another connection between higher education and professional sport.