Hiram “Being in the First Four was really a nice bookend to our time in Division I,” Van Tassell said. “It’s kind of a bittersweet thing, but it’s a way to leave on a high note.” Franciscan Van Tassell said the decision was based on economics, the transfer portal, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) as […]
Hiram
“Being in the First Four was really a nice bookend to our time in Division I,” Van Tassell said. “It’s kind of a bittersweet thing, but it’s a way to leave on a high note.”
Franciscan
Van Tassell said the decision was based on economics, the transfer portal, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) as well as missed class time due to travel.
Thiel
Waynesburg
Bethany
Grove City
“Saint Francis and Division I have always been hand in hand,” Fox said. “It’s a tradition that was established with (Maurice) Stokes, and every kid that went through there and played there. They were living on his tradition when he started, and to now say it’s no longer there.”
Geneva
The announcement was met with disappointment, sadness and betrayal felt throughout the Red Flash community.
“We’re on the losing end of the transfer portal,” he said. “You know we can’t compete with NIL so those things really kind of forced us to make the decision. Not that it made the decision easy, but those were the factors that caused us to say we have to do this for the good of the student-athletes.”
beginning 2026-27
full members
“Saint Francis has played an important role in shaping the NEC’s history, competing at a high level, excelling academically and making a meaningful impact in the community,” the statement read. “While we will miss them after the 2025-26 season, we respect their decision and understand the challenges institutions face in today’s evolving collegiate athletics and higher education landscape.”
Saint Francis was a founding member of the Northeast Conference in 1981.
“It was certainly a difficult decision, because we’re proud of our D-I program,” SFU president and the Very Reverend Malachi Van Tassell told the Mirror. “We’re proud, very proud of our student-athletes because they’re hard-working … they’re championship caliber. They’re good kids you know so this is a tough decision on an emotional level.”
The euphoria of Saint Francis making the field of 68 for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament was replaced with shock and a multitude of other emotions Tuesday morning as the university announced an athletic reclassification from Division I to Division III.
PAC teams
Presidents’
Athletic Conference
“I’m very sad,” former Saint Francis basketball player Eric Taylor said. “I think that it’s going to be a sad part of Division I history for Saint Francis.”
“It’s gut-wrenching, absolutely gut-wrenching. You feel like you got punched in the stomach,” former Red Flash basketball player Tom Fox said. “We didn’t see it coming. You’ve been successful in so many different sports. You’ve been more than competitive.
In talking with many associated with the university, it wasn’t the decision that hurt the most but the inability to help save the program.
The finality of it struck a chord.
Chatham
The school’s rich history enhanced Tuesday’s disappointment.
The conference issued a statement on Tuesday.
It was a unanimous decision that came from the university’s board of trustees rather than the athletic department.
02/06/25 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski /
Saint Francis’ Riley Parker is pressured by Le Moyne’s Will Amica.
That crushing feeling is a 180-degree turn from the pride and excitement felt throughout the community after the NCAA First Four game last week.
The transition begins with one final year in Division I for the 2025-26 season. The Red Flash will then participate in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference once they transition to Division III.
Saint Francis
Washington & Jefferson
Saint Vincent
“You just climbed the Division I men’s basketball mountain, getting back in there. I mean, football has been successful. Soccer, softball. I mean, these are Division I athletes, and it’s taken away. It’s crushing.”
The program added to that history after making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991. Now, the 2025 team will forever be remembered as champions as the Division I era draws to a close next season.
Allegheny
Westminster
