Saint Francis (Pa.) Adds Men’s Swimming in Move to Division III
Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania this week announced the addition of men’s swimming as part of its transition to Division III.
The program will launch in 2026-27. It’s the 23rd intercollegiate athletic offering for the Red Flash, and it complements a women’s swim team. Women’s head coach Phil Hurley will lead both squads, with Hurley about to enter his seventh season in charge of the women’s team in 2025-26. The university will add a full-time assistant coach position to work with both rosters, and the teams will share on-campus facilities at the Stokes Natatorium.
“This announcement is more than the addition of a sport—it’s a symbol of forward progress,” Director of Athletics Jim Brazill said in a press release. “Men’s swimming embodies our vision for a vibrant, student-centered Division III experience where athletic opportunity, academic focus, and community connection thrive together.”
Saint Francis is transitioning from Division I to Division III, a rare move for a college that it announced in March in the name of sustainability given the rising cost of athletics. It came against the backdrop of their men’s basketball team making an unlikely run to the Northeast Conference title with a 16-18 record to secure its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1991. The stated goal of the move is to achieve “a sustainable model of athletics that prioritizes academic success, values-driven competition, and community engagement.”
The school will join the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) in Pennsylvania as the eighth member of the conference with men’s swimming. The women’s team competed in the Division I Northeast Conference until last year, when it finished third out of seven teams, its highest placement since 2018-19.
“We are thrilled that Saint Francis will add men’s swimming as their 23rd varsity sport when the Red Flash joins the PAC,” PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko said. “Coming off a year in which two PAC men’s programs had All-Americans shows the quality of swimming in the conference. Adding Saint Francis, who already fields a very competitive women’s program, will only enhance the level of swimming in the PAC for both the women and men and provide more opportunities for Red Flash student-athletes.”