When something happens one time it’s considered an aberration. When it happens twice, it may be a coincidence. When the same thing happens a third time, it may be time to start considering it a trend.
Little more than a week after making their first appearance in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in over 30 years, St. Francis University announced that they would be moving their entire athletic program from Division One to Division Three. The announcement was eerily reminiscent of the University of Hartford’s announcement to downgrade their athletic program after their tournament appearance in March 2022.
Saint Francis, which is located in the town of Loretto, Pennsylvania in the Allegheny Mountains about 80 miles east of Pittsburgh, boasts an enrollment of about 3,000 students. Their teams, known as the Red Flash, compete in the Northeast Conference. Beginning with the 2026 fall seasons, they will begin play in the Presidents Athletic Conference. Saint Francis currently sponsors varsity teams in 22 sports.
"This was not an easy nor a quick decision for the Board of Trustees," Rev. Joseph Lehman, the school's chairman, said in a statement. "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 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 our mission, and our community's expectations."
The Reverend Malachi Van Tassell, the school’s President, made a point to mention the increased demands of travel in Division One sports, even in a smaller conference such as the Northeast Conference. “Our students travel either to Chicago or to Boston or to points in between. That's a lot of time not spent on campus, developing friendships or in the classroom. This change allows our students to be present on campus and lets their friends attend more of their home and away games."
The self-relegation of the Red Flash follows on the heels of similar actions taken by the University of Hartford in 2022, Saint Francis College of New York, who eliminated their entire athletic program in 2023. and Sonoma State, who eliminated their entire atheltic program earlier in 2025. With the changing landscape of college sports, expect more smaller schools to follow in their footsteps.
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