A decision by the NCAA on whether to allow St. Thomas to join the Division-I Summit League athletics conference has been postponed to this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university’s application to reclassify from D-III directly to D-I was originally expected to be included on the NCAA Division-I Management Council’s agenda for its April meeting. In response to this development, Vice President and Director of Athletics Phil Esten has issued the following statement:
“We fully understand and support the NCAA’s reasons behind shifting their agenda for their April meeting. Our primary focus right now is making sure our student athletes have the resources they need from a physical and mental health perspective, while completing their spring courses and making academic progress towards their degrees during the unprecedented challenges we’re all facing this semester with COVID-19. We are continuing to assess the best transition path for St. Thomas into Division-I, if the NCAA allows us to make the move. I remain optimistic about our future.”
