BY ELIZABETH EDNIE
Stonehill College will be officially moving towards becoming a Division I school as of today, ending weeks of rumors across campus.
Stonehill President, Father John Denning, C.S.C,. made the official announcement to the community via email, one day after a number of athletes were told about the move.
“I write to share the exciting news that Stonehill College recently accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference's (NEC) Council of Presidents to join their NCAA Division I conference,” Denning said in an email announcement.
Stonehill athletic teams have been a charter member of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10), previously competing in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Prior to this announcement, Jill Goddard, director of Communications and Media Relations, said that if the College was extended an invitation to join a new conference, the school would strongly consider the change.
“Moving to a Division I conference would help realize strategic goals of enhancing the student experience, increasing demand for a Stonehill College education, and strengthening the institution’s visibility regionally and nationally,” Goddard said.
According to the NEC’s official website, Stonehill will be competing against teams such as Bryant University, Sacred Heart University, Long Island University, and Merrimack College, among others, starting this fall.
The official announcement came after high speculation from both students and student athletes who said they heard rumors on social media and whispers around the Sports Complex of the potential change.
“I first heard the rumors from Yik Yak, and questioned whether it was real or if someone was just making it up to get attention,” senior, Gabby Scarcella said.
Emily Bramanti, a senior on the Women’s Basketball team said her team had an in-person meeting a day before the official announcement. She said that on Monday, April 4 at 11:30 a.m. her coaches said the school had officially made the decision to go division one.
Director of Athletics, Dean O’Keefe said that years of research has been done prior to this decision.
“I appreciate the history we've had in the NE10. It’s done incredible things for Stonehill, but it’s only natural that our student athletes have the opportunity to compete with the best,” O’Keefe said.
Students and student athletes had mixed reactions to the announcement about transitioning to become a Division I school.
“While I am excited for the school and all student athletes with this announcement, I can’t help but be unimpressed with the timing,” equestrian member, Kiley Subklew said. “I am sure everyone is aware of the recent issues regarding Stonehill unfairly paying their professors, so how is it we can afford to make this transition? Stonehill has always prided itself on valuing our education, but by shifting their focus from academics to athletics they are reducing our ability to succeed as students.”
Some students foresee future losses among the athletic teams as they transition to be at the level of the already established Division I teams, but have high hopes for the years to come.
“It is very interesting to say the least,” junior Jake Cobb said. “I don’t think we are going to win most matches for the next couples of years, since we really are not built like a D1 school, but I am sure we will have some championships soon.”
Some students said they are excited for the change and hope it will make Stonehill a better collegiate college in terms of athletic competition.
“Looking at the other teams, we will definitely have good competition, but we can definitely hold our own and finish well in the standings. I think this jump to D1 could help motivate the [track and field] team and really push us to have a great season even this year to finish off our time in the NE-10,” sophomore track and field athlete, Christopher Cox said.
Some athletes said they don’t think that their peers will like the idea of playing against seasoned and already trained Division I athletes as soon as this fall.
“I think that it will be good for the College and athletes in the long run, but [the College] has put all the current student athletes in a tough position considering we did not sign up for this when we committed to Stonehill’s Division II program,” junior volleyball player, Amanda Meier said.
According to a press release issued by the College, Stonehill will not become a full member of the NEC conference until the 2026-2027 school year, but will be competing in Division I matches fall of 2022.
Not all Stonehill teams will be competing in the NEC conference, according to the press release.
“The College fields nine men’s and 14 women’s athletic programs, with all except equestrian and men’s and women’s ice hockey set to compete among the NEC’s 25 championship sports. Equestrian will continue to compete within the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), while men’s ice hockey will compete as an NCAA Division I independent while the College continues to work towards a conference affiliation.”
Use this link to learn more about the logistics and frequently asked questions, for the press release, and for President Denning’s announcement to the community. And stay tuned for Wednesday’s printed edition of The Summit to learn more.
Photo courtesy of Stonehill College Athletics.
Photo courtesy of Stonehill College Athletics.
Photo courtesy of Stonehill College Athletics.
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