3/25/25
Saint Francis University has announced plans to reclassify from NCAA Division I to Division III and join the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), impacting the D3 men’s volleyball landscape. The transition will begin July 1, 2025, with competition starting in the 2026-27 academic year.
This move comes at a significant time for PAC men’s volleyball, as the conference is preparing to host its first-ever Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament this spring. Saint Francis will become the 13th full-time PAC member, further strengthening the conference’s volleyball presence in the competitive D3 environment.
During the three-year transition period to Division III status, Saint Francis men’s volleyball will compete with a full PAC schedule but will face certain eligibility restrictions. The team will not be eligible for the PAC Championship or Conference Championship Tournament until receiving full Division III membership approval from the NCAA. While Saint Francis athletes won’t qualify for All-PAC honors during the transition, they will be eligible for PAC Coaches Honors, providing recognition equivalent to the All-PAC distinctions earned by full members. This ensures student-athletes receive appropriate acknowledgment for their performance despite the transitional status.
The addition of Saint Francis follows a trend of growth for the PAC, which has expanded from nine to 13 full-time members since 2019, including recent additions Franciscan University, Allegheny College, and Hiram College. This expansion has coincided with the introduction of men’s volleyball as a championship sport, reflecting the growing popularity of the sport at the D3 level.
For SFU players, it remains unseen which players will stay the course at the D3 level and value their education over their volleyball expertise. There are 10 underclassman on the team, 5 freshman and 5 sophomores, that will be evaluating that decision. It becomes even harder for juniors who have invested three years at SFU as well as seniors or grad students who anticipated staying on for an additional year of eligibility.
PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko highlighted the conference’s commitment to both academic and athletic excellence, noting that Saint Francis shares this dual focus. The PAC has recognized over 8,500 student-athletes on its Academic Honor Roll since 2019-20, demonstrating the conference’s emphasis on scholar-athletes that matches Saint Francis’s tradition of academic achievement.
For the D3 men’s volleyball competitive landscape, this transition will bring a former Division I program into the mix, potentially raising the level of play and visibility for PAC volleyball beginning in the 2026-27 season.
