I hope no one thinks that such a move would add stability to the roster. Div II and III athletes are the training ground for mid-majors in the same way that mid-majors play a role of developmental league for the P5.
Valpo would literally lose AT LEAST $2-4 MILLION a year by making this move. Everyone would transfer, less would care, less exciting games, even less would attend games, and any player with a competitive mindset knows that they want to compete against the best so also less recruits. Everyone needs to stop complaining and actually do something. Go to games, buy gear, watch on ESPN+, support Rev’s Foundation, donate to the basketball program specifically, donate to the victory bell club, etc. Things aren’t going well in the MVC because the team isn’t getting the support it needs from fans and alumni. Clearly we can compete at a D1 level when we finished ranked approximately 210/360+ teams.
You can't just drop to Division II in basketball. Everything else would go to Division II as well. The university doesn't need another thing going backwards.
which brings football into question, I am not sure there is a PFL like football conference in D2. Bowling would remain at D1 since there is only one division. Hopefully we stay away from D2.
Yes, D-2 would be a bad idea. If basketball every decided to drop down (hopefully not), we would probably be much better off in D-3. Some really great schools compete at that level.
D-2 draws a lot of short-timer behavior issues and even an NIL expectation if you have sporadic money floating around. I see zero advantage in that move. The non=scholarship but D-1 football Pioneer League is best of both worlds unless we lose the ability to fund the non-basketball sports.
Yes, D-2 would be a bad idea. If basketball every decided to drop down (hopefully not), we would probably be much better off in D-3. Some really great schools compete at that level.
D-2 draws a lot of short-timer behavior issues and even an NIL expectation if you have sporadic money floating around. I see zero advantage in that move. The non=scholarship but D-1 football Pioneer League is best of both worlds unless we lose the ability to fund the non-basketball sports.
D2 is still scholarship so might actually coast more given our football is currently non-scholarship. I doubt very seriously that many of our football players would chose Valpo if it weren't D1.
Here's the start of schools dropping down: https://sfuathletics.com/news/2025/3/25/inside-athletics-saint-francis-university-announces-move-from-ncaa-division-i-athletics-to-division-iii-athletics.aspx
St Francis (PA) drops from DI in the NEC to DIII and the President's Athletic Conference. This definitely will not be the last unfortunately
Going forward, without any meaningful changes in NIL, VALPO will never make the dance again. Full stop. And it’s highly probable that the ARC will never be full again with the rare exception of having Purdue or Notre Dame or other big university coming to the ARC. Embrace reality. The good old days over. Gone. FINITO.
When the administration decides to accept this reality, it will have some tough decisions to make. Ignoring that reality will not bode well for men’s basketball. Revenue from basketball will never reach levels we have seen before.
The same can be said for football. If that's affected, it's 100 students who's spot might not be taken.
All I can say is tread lightly here.
Agree we should tread lightly. Running away from D-1 too fast (next year) is yet another white flag look. Better to cut another sport first.
The Saint Francis website lays out their reasoning. Essentially it comes down to travel time and the new NIL cost factors. Football teams only travel 5 times per year, but other sports travel a lot and do multi-night stays.
I am neutral on this. But if I do not have a football scholarship in the unique non-scholarship Pioneer League, what is the practical benefit to playing in D-1 rather than D-3. If there is a "bragging rights" benefit to be had for playing D-1 football I think its the ESPN score screen crawl on 10 game days each fall or for being a March Madness team. But are these "bragging rights" strong enough vs. a chance for the player to be a winner?
No way.
Why would you want to watch a less talented team?
I would rather be the worst team in the conference for decades than be the best team in D2. I want to watch talented players, even if they transfer.
I would rather be the worst team in the conference for decades than be the best team in D2. I want to watch talented players, even if they transfer.
Agreed. A drop to Div II or III would end my interest in the basketball program. I'm sure I'm not alone.
I would rather be the worst team in the conference for decades than be the best team in D2. I want to watch talented players, even if they transfer.
This logic is beyond my comprehension. Actively choosing to watch losing basketball at the mid-major level over winning at lower DI level (where our roots of success are as a program). But not requiring to see so much talent as to step up to Big Ten. You just want to watch moderate level of talent. No more, no less. And its okay if our team loses for decades as long as they have mid-level talent. What?
To be clear I am AGAINST a move to DII along with you. But it seems that your comment applies to dropping down to a lower DI conference as well. Correct me if I am wrong.
I would rather be the worst team in the conference for decades than be the best team in D2. I want to watch talented players, even if they transfer.
This logic is beyond my comprehension. Actively choosing to watch losing basketball at the mid-major level over winning at lower DI level (where our roots of success are as a program). But not requiring to see so much talent as to step up to Big Ten. You just want to watch moderate level of talent. No more, no less. And its okay if our team loses for decades as long as they have mid-level talent. What?
To be clear I am AGAINST a move to DII along with you. But it seems that your comment applies to dropping down to a lower DI conference as well. Correct me if I am wrong.
A move to a lower Div I conference would be fine with me although I'm not sure it accomplishes much.
No way.
Why would you want to watch a less talented team?
I would rather be the worst team in the conference for decades than be the best team in D2. I want to watch talented players, even if they transfer.
Well, you got your wish. Personally, I’m not interested in supporting a conference freeloader. IMO Valpo cannot live in the basement forever. Eventually, the MVC will look for programs with money and who are serious about succeeding under this new paradigm and kick Valpo to the curb. How? By setting member financial minimums that Valpo can’t meet, and we’re done.
Here's the start of schools dropping down: https://sfuathletics.com/news/2025/3/25/inside-athletics-saint-francis-university-announces-move-from-ncaa-division-i-athletics-to-division-iii-athletics.aspx
St Francis (PA) drops from DI in the NEC to DIII and the President's Athletic Conference. This definitely will not be the last unfortunately
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Why did SFU decide to move to Division III?
Rather than fighting against the headwinds and logistics that make being a small school in the NCAA Division I unsustainable, our Board of Trustees made the bold move to place our students’ academic success and well-being first. By moving to Division III, we can create an environment where students can come to Saint Francis to focus on academics and athletics while immersing themselves in our rich campus culture.
Rest of FAQ
My guess is that you won’t have many transfers so that students will likely stay four years rather one or two years
