Saint Francis will reclassify from Division I to Division III, the school announced Tuesday, Mar. 25. The move comes a week after the men’s basketball team lost its First Four matchup and with just two weeks until the final approval hearing for the House vs. NCAA case on April 7.
The decision was made by the Board of Trustees earlier this month.
Saint Francis plays in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The school said it will continue as a conference member through the summer of 2026, then transition into Division III’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference beginning in the 2026-27 season.
“This was not an easy nor a quick decision for the Board of Trustees,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Rev. Joseph Lehman in the school’s press release. “The governance associated with intercollegiate athletics has always been complicated and is only growing in complexity based on realities like the transfer portal, pay-for-play, and other shifts that move athletics away from the love of the game. For that reason, as a Board, we aim to best provide resources and support to our student-athletes in this changing environment that aligns with out mission, Catholic institution, and our community’s expectations.”
The “pay-for-play” Lehman referenced is part of the House vs. NCAA settlement. If approved, it will send millions in back pay to student-athletes and allow them to engage in revenue sharing with their universities. Schools have been preparing for this settlement to become a reality and transform the world of college athletics all season. While the former Power 5 schools—ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-12—are named in the lawsuit, other Division I conferences can opt into the terms of the settlement, which they must do by June 15th after the timeline was shifted.
For schools with smaller budgets like Saint Francis, the amount of money given to athletes would be a significant portion of a school’s athletic department budget, requiring schools to reassess the role of their sports teams.
President Rev. Malachi Van Tassell emphasized the Board is proud of the school’s success in Division I by that “The Board and I have been concerned about the student-athlete experience for many years. The geography of our conference is huge. Our students travel either to Chicago or to Boston or to points in between…this change allows our students to be present on campus and lets their friends attend more of their home and away games. This decision is about creating and maintaining community and allowing our student-athletes to thrive in the classroom and their chosen sport.”
The Athletic reported “some students receiving scholarships will remain eligible to complete, but beginning in 2028-29, no students receiving financial aid will be eligible.”
In the pool, the school only sponsors a women’s swimming team. The program finished third at the 2025 NEC Championships, its highest finish since 2018-19 and best under head coach Phil Hurley.
Saint Francis joined the NEC as a founding member in 1988. In 2023, the Brooklyn-based St. Francis College left the conference after cutting its athletics programs. Saint Francis’ departure in the 2026-27 season will leave the women’s NEC Swimming and Diving Championships with six participating programs, still more than the men’s four.
The NEC released a brief statement addressing Saint Francis’ departure from the conference. The conference wrote “while we will miss them after the 2025-26 season, we respect their decision and understand the challenges institutions face in today’s evolving college athletics and higher education landscape.”
This is a huge blow to the entire University. The student-athlete population is a large percentage of students on campus and even though just announced today, a large majority of underclassmen(women) have already decided to leave the school. This is insane just days after the men’s basketball team almost won their first NCAA tourney game in almost 25 years. Not a great decision…
Almost winning a single men’s basketball game does not equal athletic department success. I’m sure this decision was not made lightly
First Azusa Pacific transitioning from D2 to D3…now Saint Francis from D1 to D3. I assume the options for these athletics departments are go D3 or cut the department completely…?