31-03-2025
'A Time For Choosing'-Saint Francis' Bold Shift To Division III
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 18: St. Francis (Pa) Red Flash celebrate during the second half in the First ... More Four game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2025 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by)
After advancing in the NCAA's 2025 Men's March Madness and facing Alabama State in a highly competitive 'First Four' match-up in mid-March, Saint Francis University caught many in the college sports world by surprise when they announced they were departing to Division III in 2026-27.
In an exclusive podcast conversation for Trustees and Presidents: Managing Intercollegiate Athletics, Father Malachi Van Tassell told me about their decision, their process and offered advice to other leaders as the college athletics landscape shifts.
Higher education leaders may benefit in learning more about his thinking.
'It's a 'time for choosing' in higher education,' Van Tassell told me. As Division I has changed dramatically in the last several years, it 'became clear that future successes were dependent upon NIL' deals for men's basketball. The school's location in Loretto, Pennsylvania, did not lend itself to the kinds of business opportunities and donors found in larger metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City.
'We've always been both D1 and a small school-have I've always been talking about how great it is to be a both/and institution. You can be a D1 softball player and be a nursing major,' he continued.
'But now we're saying, OK, there's a lot of factors here outside of our control. Life as a D1 institution is going to get more difficult, more expensive. So, we really started to do some soul searching.'
Where does the 'typical' Saint Francis student come from? 'Our typical students, 70 % give or take, are from Western Pennsylvania. And the interesting piece though, as a D1 institution, it's the D1 that attracts 40 % of our undergraduate population who are student athletes.'
Like some private universities during the economic recession of 2008-09, they weathered the enrollment declines by using the attraction of membership in Division I. They also began to attract international student-athletes, adding a different dimension to the campus culture.
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 18: A detailed view of on-court signage before the game between the Alabama ... More State Hornets and the St. Francis (Pa) Red Flash in the First Four of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2025 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by)
As Division I evolved financially with NIL, they began to think about 'market positioning' in other Divisions. Their conference, the NEC, had also experienced a membership evolution, expanding the footprint to include both Chicago and the Boston area. The average trip was six hours by bus, and with no commercial airports closer than 90 minutes away, athletes were spending an extraordinary amount of time on the road.
Van Tassell and his Board of Trustees spent months in frank discussions about the mission of the school. 'The thing is two thirds of my board are alumni, which is great. Some of them had been student athletes…(recounting) memories of their own experiences in the 1970s, 80s, 90s. So we needed to start by educating our trustees of this is what it's like on ground in Saint Francis today. It started with board education, anything from the basics, like what is NIL, to the complexities of the economics of 'over-rostering'.'
Once the group shared the same understandings of how much Division I college athletics had changed, the table was cleared of old perceptions and the team could start with a fresh perspective. 'Having been president going on 11 years, at this point, trustees are folks on the board that I've invited to join the board. I've had the opportunity to develop really strong relationships with. It's a luxury that I have versus an institution that's a state institution where political appointees are the trustees'.
The board and his leadership team were unafraid to push back and challenge each other. "The Board really wrestled with this-they asked the tough questions and it was factual. There was emotion because it was people with their own ideas and their own expertise. And it really was a great mix of 'iron sharpening iron' with people coming to a good decision, together'.
I asked Van Tassell to elaborate. "Part of one of the motivators in us making the switch is because of the NIL piece. Being a small school, you're typically on the losing end of that kind of stuff…then that's where it goes into philosophy and mission. I don't want to be in an arms race. The money is better spent on people.'
When the announcement went public, the pushback from many athletes was fierce. Some told the Troubadour, the student newspaper, they were 'blindsided' by the news. Several talked about putting themselves into the transfer portal immediately. The athletics director had resigned. Despite leading the team to the NEC championship and a spot in the 2025 NCAA March Madness 'First Four' Round for the first time in 34 years, men's basketball coach Rob Krimmel announced his retirement. The department appeared to be floundering.
Anticipating strong pushback, the leadership team planned ahead.
Saint Francis will remain in Division I for one more year, Van Tassell said. He is hoping that many of the coaches and athletes will stay and not feel rushed to make a quick decision. There are more issues to work out, but they quickly found a conference home in the Division III President's Athletic Conference, where the longest bus trip will be three hours.
When I asked him for a final piece of advice he might offer to other institutional leaders considering a move like this, he didn't flinch. 'Don't wait. But be smart about it….you don't want to be the last person to do this. You want to control your own destiny.'
Important advice for all university leaders at a pivotal moment in higher education.
