Overview

• Saint Francis (Pa.) will transition all athletic programs from NCAA Division I to Division III starting in the 2026-27 academic year.
• The school will join the Presidents' Athletic Conference, which features a more geographically compact footprint compared to the Northeast Conference.
• University leaders attributed the decision to challenges like NIL demands, pay-for-play models, and extensive travel impacting student-athlete time and community engagement.
• The announcement follows the men's basketball team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991, where they lost to Alabama State in the First Four.
• Saint Francis (Pa.), a private Catholic institution with 3,000 students, aims to align its athletic programs with its mission to prioritize education and campus life.