Phil Esten, vice president and director of Athletics at the University of St. Thomas, recently spoke with Chip Scoggins at the Minnesota Star Tribune for an article about the NCAA vote taking place this week.

From the article:
The Tommies look ready to contend for the Summit League title. They won’t, however, be eligible for March Madness if they win the conference championship since they’re still under provisional status in the NCAA reclassification process.
That transition period is supposed to last another school year, ending in 2026, unless the NCAA agrees to a legislative proposal to modify the rule in a meeting next Wednesday.
The NCAA should do the right thing and remove the final year of the waiting period.
The NCAA has made all kinds of concessions in recent years. Name, Image and Likeness. Transfer Portal. The House vs. NCAA settlement that will allow direct payment to athletes. Athletes receiving six and seven years of eligibility.
Many of the seismic changes taking place have been in response to legal battles. The NCAA finally is being dragged out of the Stone Age in its governance.
Demanding that St. Thomas spend five years in limbo is another overreach. By every standard and measure, the school functions like a healthy Division I athletic program. A four-year wait is enough.
“This (proposal) considers all of the different variables that are happening in the NCAA today,” St. Thomas athletic director Phil Esten said. “I’m hopeful that this will proceed and move forward, and we’ll be eligible in a year.”