29-03-2025
Saint Francis holds press conference announcing changing of conferences, shift from D1 to D3 sports
LORETTO, Pa. (WTAJ) — During a press conference Friday afternoon, Saint Francis officially joined the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), days after the school announced it will be transitioning all of its sports programs from division 1 to division 3.
Joe Onderko, the Commissioner of the PAC, defended division three athletics during his welcoming speech, pushing back against those who consider it a step above high school sports.
'If you have not seen division three athletics lately, I believe you will find watching our teams compete, the level of competition and the level of play is likely higher than you expect,' Onderko said.
After the decision was made to move from division one to division three was announced on Tuesday, there has been strong feeling expressed from a number of current students and alumni. A petition has also been circulating online with over 2,700 signatures, urging the University to reconsider the change.
'As you can imagine my inbox is full right now,' Saint Francis President Father Malachi Van Tassell, said. 'From the alumni community, from the current campus community there's a lot of shock, a lot of disbelief, and a lot of can't believe we're doing this.'
Van Tassell said that Saint Francis athletics have always competed above their means against schools with more resources and have had success. However he said that a changing college athletics landscape has made it increasingly difficult for one of the smallest division one schools in the country to compete.
'It was NIL, it was the transfer portal, it was uncertainties in D1, or as I like to say D1 changed around us,' Van Tassell said.
The decision was announced one week after the Saint Francis men's basketball team was eliminated in the NCAA tournament. Since then multiple players now intend to enter the transfer portal, and longtime head coach Rob Krimmel has retired. No members of the athletic department were made available to speak during the press conference.
'I'm not asking student athletes or staff necessarily to agree with the decision, but I want them to know first and foremost that I'm here to help them to come to a good decision for their futures,' Van Tassell said.
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