Latest news with #MalachiVanTassell
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local lawmakers, legal officials learn unity during Law Day
LORETTO, Pa. (WTAJ) — Local lawmakers and attorneys, judges and members of the legal community were schooled in the unity of law across the country. These officials met at St. Francis University's 43rd annual Red Mass and Law Day. They started off with a mass at the Immaculate Conception Chapel before moving to the John F. Kennedy Student Center for a luncheon and to hear from speakers. This year's theme was 'The Constitution's Promise: Out of Many, One,' which tells how the Constitution unites individuals despite their differences. School officials say that open dialogue and respectful conversations are the goal rather than continuous, tense arguments. 'We all have more in common than what binds us, you know?' St. Francis University President Fr. Malachi Van Tassell said. 'And so I think it's important at some point to kind of set aside our differences and just kind of hear each other out. It doesn't mean we have to come to an agreement. But at the same point, it's important to be able to talk civilly, agree to disagree and find those unifying elements where we can work together.' Notre Dame Vice President and General Counsel Marianne Corr was the keynote speaker, talking about her reflections on her career in law and advising those in attendance how the law is a uniting factor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
'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.
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
The clock struck midnight at March Madness. We're not coming back.
The Very Rev. Malachi Van Tassell is president of Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Each year, the NCAA basketball tournament crowns its Cinderella team, and I proudly serve as president of an institution many chose as this year's underdog. I was honored to cheer the Saint Francis Red Flash at their game in the Big Dance, something our institution had not experienced for 34 years. But I knew as I watched the game that our run would soon be ending in a bigger way: Our board of trustees had just voted to pursue reclassification of our intercollegiate athletics program from Division I to Division III, a nearly unheard-of decision but one I know will become more common for institutions such as ours.
CBS News
26-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
St. Francis (PA) is moving from Division I to Division III in 2026
The first run to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament in more than 30 years by Saint Francis (Pa.) could also be its last. The school announced Tuesday it would move from Division I to Division III in the summer of 2026. The announcement comes a week after the Red Flash played in March Madness for the first time since 1990. The Northeastern Conference Tournament champions were edged by Alabama State in the First Four on a last-second layup. The school, which is located in the Allegheny Mountains about 80 miles east of Pittsburgh, has accepted an invitation to begin play in the Division III-level Presidents Athletic Conference during the 2026-27 academic year. The private Catholic school, with an enrollment of around 3,000 students, indicated that the shift in college athletics over the last few years — including the transfer portal and the ability for athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness — played a factor in the decision. The wide geographic footprint of the NEC was also an issue. "Our students travel either to Chicago or to Boston or to points in between," the school's president, the Rev. Malachi Van Tassell, said in a statement. "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." Van Tassell added he knows the transition will be "stressful" for student-athletes and that the administration will do what it can to offer support to everyone involved. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here .
Fox Sports
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
St. Francis University is moving from Division I to Division III in 2026
The first run to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament in more than 30 years by Saint Francis (Pa.) could also be its last. The school announced Tuesday it would move from Division I to Division III in the summer of 2026. The announcement comes a week after the Red Flash played in March Madness for the first time since 1990. The Northeastern Conference Tournament champions were edged by Alabama State in the First Four on a last-second layup. The school, which is located in the Allegheny Mountains about 80 miles east of Pittsburgh, has accepted an invitation to begin play in the Division III-level Presidents Athletic Conference during the 2026-27 academic year. The private Catholic school, with an enrollment of around 3,000 students, indicated that the shift in college athletics over the last few years — including the transfer portal and the ability for athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness — played a factor in the decision. The wide geographic footprint of the NEC was also an issue. "Our students travel either to Chicago or to Boston or to points in between," the school's president, the Rev. Malachi Van Tassell, said in a statement. "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." Van Tassell added he knows the transition will be "stressful" for student-athletes and that the administration will do what it can to offer support to everyone involved. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
