St. Anselm College president Steven DiSalvo announced Tuesday that the school has applied to enter “the exploratory phase of NCAA Division III membership for all athletic programs.”
The school’s hockey programs currently compete at the Division II level. The move to D-III would allow the programs to have an NCAA postseason.
“We evaluated our academic, geographic, and athletic profile, along with our overall vision and strategic goals, and it became very clear that we were a better fit with the majority of Division III schools,” DiSalvo said in a statement. “If we are accepted, it will be an exciting opportunity for us to grow as an institution- recommitting to our mission and values, while promoting academic and athletic excellence.”
“Our athletes are expected to excel academically, as well as athletically, while exhibiting the highest level of sportsmanship, leadership, integrity and honor,” added interim director of athletics Phil Rowe.
The college was recently ranked 13th in the nation for community service, and experiential learning is an integral part of the college experience. Membership in Division III would provide increased access to these types of opportunities, otherwise unavailable to student-athletes with demanding year-round athletic schedules. Additionally, less travel time to competing institutions would mean less time out of class for student-athletes.
“This decision by our leadership holds true to our mission and vision,” concluded Rowe. “We embrace our role as educators to continue to provide our student-athletes the best experience possible moving forward.”
