SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Bob Beretta, athletic director at Le Moyne College, said the path to Division I and the Northeast Conference (NEC) has been “quite a journey.” It follows more than a decade of conversations, deliberations, and discussions regarding the “rightful divisional alignment” for Le Moyne’s intercollegiate athletics program. “By rising to Division I, we […]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Bob Beretta, athletic director at Le Moyne College, said the path to Division I and the Northeast Conference (NEC) has been “quite a journey.”
It follows more than a decade of conversations, deliberations, and discussions regarding the “rightful divisional alignment” for Le Moyne’s intercollegiate athletics program.
“By rising to Division I, we will offer our student athletes the opportunity to test themselves on the biggest stage,” Beretta noted. He spoke during a May 11 formal announcement inside Le Moyne’s Grewen Auditorium.
Le Moyne College has accepted an invitation to become a member of the NEC in Division I athletics starting this fall.
In joining with the eight other institutions who are NEC members, Le Moyne’s 21 NCAA sports teams will move from Division II to Division I, allowing them to “showcase its athletics programs in some of the nation’s largest markets while competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics,” the school contended in its initial May 10 announcement.
NEC schools include Wagner College; Central Connecticut State University; Fairleigh Dickinson University; Long Island University; Merrimack College; Sacred Heart University; St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania; and Stonehill College of Easton, Massachusetts, per the NEC website.
The decision to make the move is one that follows a “comprehensive study and discernment process involving all key campus constituencies,” Le Moyne stated.
Formal announcement
In her remarks, Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura called it an “incredibly momentous occasion.”
“And you might be saying ‘Now how momentous really?’ I will tell you. This could be as big as Le Moyne College opening as the first co-ed, Jesuit institution in the United States of America. It could be that big.”
Isaiah Salter, a graduate student who plays for the men’s basketball team, called the moment “undeniably historic” and believes all Le Moyne student-athletes are “honored and blessed” to be part of history.
As his remarks continued, Salter also referenced the wisdom of a Greek philosopher.
“The great philosopher Socrates has a quote about change where he states the secret to change is not focusing all of your energy on fighting the old but on building the new,” Salter told the gathering. “And as I reflect on my own personal journey here at Le Moyne College, I’ve come to appreciate that with an open mind and an open heart, change can be an essential catalyst for growth.”
The May 11 event also included a video about the school’s move to Division I that was narrated by Jim Deshaies, a 1982 Le Moyne graduate, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, and a current color analyst for Chicago Cubs broadcasts.
Also, 1986 Le Moyne graduates Chris Granozio and Don Familo, who handle radio broadcasts for Dolphin basketball, emceed the event.
In his remarks, Beretta also noted that Le Moyne needed to “pay tribute” to its past and its history in Division II and the Northeast-10 Conference
“It is important that we continue to recognize and celebrate those moments and unbelievable achievements. They have shaped our past and provided a solid foundation upon which to build,” he said
NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris noted that it was standing room only in Grewen Auditorium for the announcement, and she reacted saying, “I love this.”
Morris called it a “win-win partnership” and believes “it’s evident that the Dolphins are ready to swim into the deep waters of Division I athletics …
She then invited LeMura, Beretta, and Pete DiLaura, chairman of the Le Moyne College board of trustees, to come to the stage to try on their NEC ball caps.
Morris and LeMura ended the formal announcement gathering with a document signing in front of the audience and gathered media members.
The process
In accepting the invitation to join the NEC, Le Moyne concludes a 15-month-long process, which included hiring an outside consultant to conduct a feasibility study.
In June 2022, the school formed an ad-hoc committee that included members of the Le Moyne’s leadership team, faculty and trustees. The committee met regularly, conferring with the college’s faculty senate, alumni, members of the Jesuit community, student-athletes and their parents, and community leaders.
The process also included consultation with presidents who have moved from Division II to Division I athletics, as well as others who provided insight into the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, the financial implications of competing in other conferences, and the “relative risk of staying in Division II.”
Upon the conclusion of its work, the committee voted to support a reclassification to Division I, followed by a vote by Le Moyne’s board of trustees in favor of the move.
Le Moyne has competed in Division I athletics in some sports in the past, most notably men’s baseball and women’s lacrosse.