On March 25, Saint Francis announced it was transitioning its athletics program from Division I to Division III.

The decision jarred the campus and surrounding community.

Over the past few weeks, the Mirror’s Neil Rudel reached out to a number of past Saint Francis administrators, coaches and players, inviting their reaction, and more than a dozen submitted their thoughts.

Following is a compilation:

Hoping Saint Francis

spirit will live on

With the landscape of college athletics changing so rapidly, it’s unfortunate that Saint Francis felt it needed to make the transition away from Division I athletics.

The Red Flash have always been a light to its alumni and fans as a small school that quite often accomplished things much bigger than those outside the SFU community imagined it could.

With the players I had the privilege to coach from 2007-2012, we dreamed about going to the Big Dance.

We worked hard to be a model program for the entire school and local community.

When we did make it there in two of those years, it provided an opportunity for not just our team, but for the entire campus and local community to celebrate because, quite honestly, we felt we were all one team.

Everyone played a part in helping us be successful, and I am very thankful for the support. Our team had a saying that was carried down from previous teams … “We’re Flash, We’re One.”

My hope is this spirit will continue to be lived out at SFU. The transition will be challenging because it stirs many emotions from current student-athletes, alumni and fans of an institution that means so much.

I am rooting for them as I still have many great Red Flash family relationships and hope that they do become a dominant athletics program in their new landscape.

Susan Robinson Fruchtl

Boalsburg

(Susan Robinson Fruchtl served as Saint Francis women’s basketball coach from 2007-2012 and then as its athletic director from 2016-2020).

‘Proud and honored’

to be part of tradition

Most of the guys from the 1991 team — Coach Baron included — are still in touch through a group chat. We were all stunned when the news broke about SFU moving to Division III.

My time as a student-athlete at SFU was incredibly meaningful. Being part of the basketball program opened doors for me to travel and experience the world after graduation. I’ve always felt a strong connection to the program. SFU is a special place.

I still laugh when I think about how many guys we played against would complain about making the trek up the mountain to face us. It’s tough to see things change like this, but the memories made in Loretto will last a lifetime.

Big shoutout to all the athletes — across all sports — who helped build SFU into a competitive and respected program.

I’m proud and honored to have been part of such a rich tradition.

Joe Anderson

Uniontown, Ohio

(Joe Anderson played for the Flash from 1988-91. He is SFU’s all-time leading scorer in men’s basketball with 2,301 points, having broken the record set by Maurice Stokes.)

NIL, transfer portal

accelerated decision

My initial reaction to the decision made by the university was surprise and sadness. I sympathized with the current athletes and coaches and the difficult decisions they were forced to make so abruptly.

So many of my great personal memories involved Saint Francis athletics, and that association led to a 47-year career coaching at the NCAA Division I level at four different institutions.

My daughter, who was a Division I coach at Holy Cross, offers a perspective all small colleges are facing. She recently left coaching after a successful career as a head coach at two Division I institutions.

The impact of NIL money and the transfer portal on recruiting and team continuity clearly played a part in her decision.

Unfortunately for Saint Francis, the combination of finances, timing and location in regard to the NCAA’s dramatic changes and conference affiliation are at the heart of it.

I have to believe the leadership at the university factored in all relevant data available before the final decision was made.

As a proud alum, my sincere hope is the university finds success moving forward.

Dave Magarity

Fenwick Island, Delaware

(Dave Magarity was the head men’s basketball coach at Saint Francis from 1978-83 and Marist from 1986-2004. He concluded his career as the head women’s coach at Army from 2006-2021).

Secrecy prevailed

as plan was in works

When I opened the email from The Office of the President on March 25, I never anticipated the devastating news it contained for the Saint Francis University family.

I always viewed Saint Francis as the place where miracles happened and faith overcame challenges.

On March 25, it became the place where secrecy prevailed over honesty and truth. Certain individuals in leadership positions failed the people they were called to serve, the members of the Saint Francis community, especially the student-athletes, coaches, faculty and alumni.

More than 600 students, coaches and staff came to Saint Francis believing they would have a Division I experience.

They were misled as this plan to transition SFU athletics to DIII had obviously been in the planning for several years.

This action by the president and trustees certainly does not follow the Franciscan values that are at the heart of the university and the student-athlete experience.

The student-athletes and coaches have embraced these values for years and have represented the university throughout the community and beyond.

There are individuals who feel the current state of the NCAA makes things impossible for SFU. However, the athletic world has been in a state of chaos, within the NCAA, for years.

There are 364 Division I institutions (and the number is growing) striving to meet the challenges in different ways that coincide with their conferences and institutions.

SFU has always met the challenges and provided a vibrant program for the students and university community.

SFU needs Division I athletics, and Division I athletics needs SFU.

The president and the trustees should re-examine and engage in an open review, involving diverse representation from within the Red Flash family.

Alumni, students (past and present) faculty, coaches and staff deserve this from their Division I institution among the pines.

Bob Krimmel

Hollidaysburg

(Bob Krimmel served as SFU’s athletic director from 2005-2017 after a 30-year career as a coach and administrator at Penn State.)

Thankful for fond

memories in Loretto

I have to say the news came as a surprise and is a great example of how quickly things can change.

The excitement and exposure of the NCAA play-in game followed by the dropping of Division I athletics illustrates the extremes in college athletics today.

I understand. It is hard to compete today, but the majority of people understand that.

I am not familiar enough with the long-term burden today’s athletic commitment placed on the institution’s future to judge it.

I can only say I am thankful for the memories growing up watching the program and then being a small part of it.

Those memories and special moments are what set Saint Francis apart from all the others. Change is always hard, but growth can lead to new experiences and opportunities.

I’m hoping the future creates that “One Shining Moment” that might be hard to see right now.

Jeff Bower

Auburn Hills, Michigan

(Jeff Bower is a Hollidaysburg native, former Saint Francis and Penn State assistant coach and Marist head coach. He is a past head coach of NBA teams in New Orleans and Charlotte as well as the general manager in Detroit and Phoenix. He is currently a scout for the Brooklyn Nets.)

Feeling empathy for those

tasked with the decision

The announcement that our athletics program will transition to Division III was a gut punch to almost all those connected to Saint Francis sports, past and present.

Most of us were still riding the high of our men’s basketball team’s Northeast Conference title and March Madness appearance when we received the news.

Only time will tell if this move makes financial sense for the institution.

Our Board of Trustees believes that it will. I empathize with the members of our board — no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. Especially when it’s telling a group of good people that they will be losing something they deeply cherish.

I empathize with our coaches, alumni, boosters and fans. There is a something magical about SFU that binds people together. That’s why we celebrated Norm Van Lier’s legacy last season and Kevin Porter’s career back in February.

That’s why people still talk about Mack the Cop, Art Martynuska and Father Vince and make it a priority to seek out Maureen Malloy when they return for a game.

I empathize with our current student-athletes. Most of them dreamed of competing at the DI level and worked hard to make this dream a reality. Much of their identity is tied to their athletic talent.

Through no fault of their own, they are forced to choose between staying at SFU and eventually competing at the DIII level, or transferring to another school to continue competing at the highest level.

Saint Francis is a special place. That is not going to change when we move to DIII. But that doesn’t take away the pain of losing something you cherish.

Pat Farabaugh

Loretto

(Pat Farabaugh is a professor of communications at Saint Francis and the Red Flash men’s basketball and football team’s play-by-play announcer.)

Impact on women’s

program significant

As a former women’s basketball player and coach, I’m deeply disappointed by Saint Francis University’s decision to move from Division I to Division III — especially so soon after the men’s team’s incredible NCAA tournament appearance.

That moment reminded us all of the magic small programs can create. Unfortunately, this may be the new reality for many smaller Division I schools.

The current NCAA landscape — with the transfer portal and NIL deals — has made it increasingly difficult for schools like Saint Francis to compete.

This decision affects all sports, but what’s especially heartbreaking for me is the impact on our women’s basketball program, which has a long-standing tradition of competing in the NEC Conference and NCAA tournaments.

Coach Jenny Przekwas laid the foundation, Myndi Hill continued the greatness and Susan Robinson Fruchtl and Joe Haigh carried it forward with pride and passion.

As someone who has worn the jersey and stood on the sidelines, this decision hurts. But I’ll always support Saint Francis and hope this change brings stability — even if it’s bittersweet.

Deanna Jubeck

Hollidaysburg

(Deanna Jubeck played at Saint Francis from 1997-2001 and coached there from 2001-04. She’s currently the head girls coach at Hollidaysburg.)

Sadly, prediction came true on SFU future

Over a decade ago, I had the honor of serving on the Saint Francis President’s Athletics Advisory Committee alongside experienced, passionate coaches and administrators.

At each meeting, Father Gabe Zeis would begin with a prayer, reminding us to consider the university’s greater good.

After one session, I asked him what kept him awake at night. Without hesitation, he said, and I paraphrase, “Within 10 years, several private colleges in our region will no longer exist. The demographics just don’t work. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure Saint Francis survives and thrives.”

Sadly, his prediction has largely come true.

Since arriving on campus in 1972, I’ve been deeply involved in the business of college athletics. It’s a passionate, high-stakes world, often led by emotion rather than strategy. I believe SFU’s Board of Trustees made its recent decision with great care, prayer and consideration — not just for athletics, but for the university’s overall future.

No president wants a decision like this on their legacy, but sometimes leadership means doing what’s best for all.

For years, I heard, “How does Saint Francis do it?”

My response was always: Strong leadership, dedicated coaches, committed faculty and a special sense of community.

But the challenges — financial, demographic, and now, structural changes like the transfer portal and NIL — have made Division I sustainability nearly impossible.

In my opinion, while certainly difficult, the move to Division III was inevitable. SFU remains a strong option for student-athletes, with excellent academics, facilities, and a welcoming campus.

My wife Cheryl (SFU ’79) and I still visit often, and I serve on the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee. With luck, we’ll be back for my 50th reunion in 2026. Though things change, the memories — and the Red Flash spirit — remain.

SFU Athletics will be just fine. It’s about the memories you make.

Ron Bertovich

Buffalo, N.Y.

(Ron Bertovich was the sports information director at Saint Francis and Iona before becoming commissioner of the Atlantic 10 Conference from 1986-94 and the deputy commissioner of the Colonial Athletic Conference from 2005-17 and later an executive vice president for the Buffalo Sabres).

Money, changing times

made move inevitable

As a graduate of Saint Francis in the ’60s, I know what it meant to my fellow students to have a basketball program the quality of the one the school was turning out in the 1950s up through the 1970s.

We all felt pride and had a connection to the players, too, who were our classmates.

But the image many people still carry in their heads of that time is a far cry from the one the program knows today. Still, I understand that we are inclined to think with our hearts and not our heads.

Money, the size of the school, the state of the Northeast Conference, collegiate sports and the university’s location (which isn’t talked about enough) all conspired to make this move inevitable.

Maurice Stokes, Norm Van Lier, Kevin Porter and any number of forgotten and accomplished players coming to Loretto again has been fiction for some time.

But then Tom Gola and Kenny Durrett aren’t going to LaSalle anymore; Calvin Murphy isn’t going to Niagara either, or Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn to Holy Cross.

The days of the small to mid-sized Catholic colleges with a prominent basketball program are going and in some cases gone.

My involvement with the university and its basketball program represents more than 50 years, and while I’m sad, I understand and still have my memories.

Bob Moore

Long Branch, New Jersey

(Bob Moore was a former sports information director of Saint Francis before becoming public relations director and historian of the Kansas City Chiefs. He also founded the Golden Era of Red Flash basketball wing, which is part of the SFU Athletics Hall of Fame, of which he was inducted in August of 2024.)

Saint Francis will

always be special

I feel the pain for the Saint Francis community with the decision to reclassify the athletic department to Division III.

The current climate in collegiate athletics is disgraceful and clearly off the rails.

Unfortunately, the Red Flash had to face the financial reality of moving forward with an athletic department that better aligns for the future.

I have repeated the following to many people over my 40 years in the NCAA and NBA: My three years spent coaching at Saint Francis were the most enjoyable time in my life, and it was because of the people in the SFU area.

So, no matter what level SFU participates in, I sure hope the hard working, loyal and great fans continue to support the efforts of the student-athletes. The SFU community made me a better person.

Jeff Nix

Oak Bluffs, Mass.

(Jeff Nix was an assistant basketball coach at Saint Francis from 1981-84. He also coached at Loyola Md., Xavier, Notre Dame and the New York Knicks before becoming an assistant general manager with the Knicks and Detroit Pistons.)

NEC was no longer

best fit for Red Flash

As a former director athletics at Saint Francis University, I was sad to hear the news of the planned transition from NCAA Division I to DIII.

We had experienced great success during my time at SFU, but the Division I world today with NIL, revenue sharing and the transfer portal is much different than 20 years ago when I left SFU to become the athletic director at the University of Mount Olive, an NCAA DII institution.

Plus, the Northeast Conference is not as good a fit for SFU as it was back then. Given all that, while it hurts for now, I understand the move and will always support SFU.

Jeff Eisen

Chapel Hill, N.C.

(Jeff Eisen served as director of athletics at Saint Francis from 1998-2005 before coming AD at Mount Olive in North Carolina.)

Don’t be surprised

if more schools follow

The state of college athletics currently is such that they are forcing mid-majors to try to survive the NIL landscape that leaves them at such a recruiting disadvantage with the money powers.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see other mid-majors make similar decisions that Saint Francis did.

I’m disappointed and saddened for all former SFU athletes, coaches and current students. I can’t imagine how everyone will react and respond to what Division III means to alumni interest and donations, how admissions will be impacted and how the culture will change on campus.

One of the issues that isn’t mentioned as much as NIL and transfer portal is the new criteria for March Madness consideration of allocating more value for Quad 1 wins and losses over all other Quad victories, which will make scheduling mid-majors less valuable for the power conferences to risk.

So these three factors make conducting a Division I program a business decision that many schools are being forced to make at the expense of risking emotional and loyalty ties to their student and alumni bases.

I would like to see the NCAA return to allowing schools to declare for one sport (basketball, hockey) to be Division I and the others Division III, which might give mid-majors a fighting chance at surviving the current landscape.

Pete Lonergan

Buffalo, N.Y.

(Pete Lonergan was the head men’s basketball coach at Saint Francis from 1973-78 and at Niagara from 1980-85. He later coached for many years at the Division III level.)

‘Miracle on Mountain’ memories will last forever

I’ve always thought our trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1991 was like a movie, “The Miracle on the Mountain.”

It was magical, and the whole campus was part of it. We had players, like Joe Anderson, John Hilvert and Tom Bennetch, and Mike (Iuzzolino) was the missing piece.

On moving to Division III, I think the decision was made way before it happened.

It’s a big decision, and I don’t want to hurt Saint Francis. It probably had to be done because of the finances.

My concern is for all the smaller schools, the mid-majors that have men’s and women’s sports. I’m still on a couple NCAA committees, and we’ve got to get this thing figured out.

Saint Francis has to do what they have to do to survive.

But our 1991 team gave Saint Francis notoriety, and we woke a lot of people up on the tradition that started with Maurice Stokes.

Jim Baron

Pompano Beach, Florida

(Jim Baron was the head men’s basketball coach at Saint Francis from 1987-92. He also was the head coach at St. Bonaventure from 1992-2001, Rhode Island from 2001-12 and Canisius from 2012-2016.)

‘Heartbroken’ over

loss of bygone era

I was heartbroken when I heard that Saint Francis was transitioning its athletics program to Division III.

When I was there (1980-1984) we were by enrollment one of the smallest Division I basketball programs in the country.

Even so, we played a great non-conference schedule over those years — LSU, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Duquesne, West Virginia, Georgetown, Saint Joseph’s, Richmond, Bradley, South Carolina.

We were David up against Goliaths. When I was a senior, we played Georgetown at the Capital Centre. Georgetown would go on to win the NCAA championship that year.

The Washington Post, the day after the game, described how Saint Francis was not intimidated by the mighty Hoyas and was the first team Georgetown played that was allowed to go out at night without their mothers. We loved that.

Those days are apparently over now. Heartbreaking, indeed.

Lou Schmitt

Altoona

(Lou Schmitt is a representative in the Pennsylvania State House. He won the primary election for Blair County judge on May 20.)