Just a week after its Men’s Basketball team lost an NCAA Division I First Four heartbreaker, Saint Francis University and the Presidents Athletic Conference have announced that the Red Flash will re-classify from Division I to Division III and join the conference, becoming the 13th full-time member institution. Saint Francis fields 22 varsity athletic teams, including nine men’s and 13 women’s. The University will retain its current affiliation as a full-time member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) until June 30, 2026, when it will begin transitioning to Division III, a process that will take three years to complete. Meanwhile, the Red Flash will have full schedules in all applicable PAC sports. Saint Francis will not be eligible for PAC Championships or compete in Conference Championship Tournaments in basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, lacrosse, baseball & softball until they are approved for active Division III membership by the NCAA. Red Flash programs in sports such as cross country, golf, swimming and diving and indoor and outdoor track and field will be able to compete at PAC Championships starting in 2026-27.
“The Presidents’ Athletic Conference is looking forward to welcoming Saint Francis University to the PAC,” Doug Lee, President at Waynesburg University and Chair of the PAC Presidents’ Council said in the PAC release. “Their commitment to creating an atmosphere for scholar athletes to compete in the unique and exciting dimension of Division III athletics will further enhance the strong tradition of excellence upheld by our member institutions.”
“On behalf of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and our Presidents Council, it is my distinct honor to officially welcome Saint Francis University of Pennsylvania as they reclassify their athletic department to NCAA Division III and full PAC membership,” PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko was quoted in the release. Onderko, now in his 19th year leading the conference, added “The oldest Catholic-Franciscan college in the United States, Saint Francis is a tremendous fit, both geographically and culturally, as the newest PAC member. In addition, the Red Flash athletic department shares our unique vision that academic and athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive. We are excited to welcome them as the league’s 13th full member and believe they will be a tremendous partner as the PAC continues to grow.
With the addition of Saint Francis, the PAC has grown from nine members to 13 full-time members since 2019. Franciscan University joined the conference that year, while Allegheny College returned to the PAC as a full-time member in 2022 and Hiram College will return to full competition in the conference beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. The PAC continues to expand its championship offerings, as the conference introduced women’s and men’s lacrosse championships in 2019 and this spring, will host the first-ever Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament.