March 26, 2025 | Read Online

Here's why Saint Francis (PA) says they're reclassifying to D-III

What it means for the NEC...and the rest of D-I

Good morning, and thanks for spending part of your day with Extra Points.

Back on March 14, I wrote a newsletter called “why I'm hearing more D-I schools are considering reclassification.” I tried to explain in that newsletter why circumstances had changed, although I decided not to name any names of schools that were coming up in those industry conversations.

Every one of those industry conversations would typically center on different schools, which was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to name anybody. But the one that came up the most, almost completely without fail, was Saint Francis of the NEC.

This might be surprising to some people. Earlier this year, the Red Flash beat Kent State in football. They won the NEC Tournament and went to the NCAAs for just the second time in school history, losing to Alabama State in the First Four. Their softball program is historically very strong. There had been athletic successes!

But there have also been struggles. With under 2,000 students, Saint Francis is one of the smallest schools in all of D-I, with one of the smallest budgets, in one of the smallest towns. There have been industry whispers about the sustainability of Red Flash D-I athletics for about as long as I’ve been working as a sportswriter, and earlier this week, they finally moved beyond whispers.

On Tuesday, the university announced that the athletic department will transition to D-III, moving to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, with the process beginning next academic year. The PAC is one of the D-III conferences that participates in the Extra Points Bowl.

An NEC spokesperson provided the following statement to Extra Points:

The Northeast Conference (NEC) has been informed of Saint Francis University’s plans to transition from NCAA Division I to Division III, beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.

As a founding member, Saint Francis has played an important role in shaping the NEC’s history, competing at a high level, excelling academically and making a meaningful impact in the community.

While we will miss them after the 2025-26 season, we respect their decision and understand the challenges institutions face in today’s evolving collegiate athletics and higher education landscape.

The NEC spokesperson also confirmed that Saint Francis will be eligible for NEC conference championship events next season, even as they are reclassifying.

So why did Saint Francis decide to make this decision, especially just a few days after their men’s basketball program made the NCAA Tournament? What does this decision mean for other small colleges currently competing at the D-I level?

The university shared a long video and extensive online Q&As to add context to the decision. But I also called the school for more info.