There are many transition stories in college athletics, but few reflect what the University of St. Thomas has accomplished by completing its unprecedented leap from NCAA Division III to become a fully eligible Division I athletics program.
“This was never about just moving up to another division,” said Phil Esten, vice president and director of athletics. “It was about expanding opportunities for our student-athletes and elevating the entire university – academically, culturally, and nationally. And it was about how we could do this right.”
In finding the right path forward, Tommie Athletics produced moments that reshaped perception nationally, not simply because the university completed the reclassification process ahead of schedule, but because Tommie teams began competing in ways that demanded attention.
Men’s basketball has provided one of the most visible signals of arrival. This season, the team was two wins away from playing on college sports' biggest stage: the NCAA basketball tournament. After its semi-final finish in the Summit League conference tournament, the Tommies received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament, marking their first-ever postseason basketball appearance in the D-I era..
“People weren’t just watching a team,” Esten said. “They were watching St. Thomas represent itself on a national stage.”
Leadership that anchors the rise
That sense of representation has extended across programs and has been reinforced by leadership continuity who encourage the student-athletes to remember their efforts are foremost about classroom, community, character and competition.
For example, women’s basketball head coach Ruth Sinn, who announced in February that this is her last season, has been one of the longest-tenured coaches at St. Thomas and measures her success in part by the life her student-athletes lead once they leave the university.
“The women I have gotten to coach... they are incredible people. They are now moms and career professionals and making an impact in their community,” Sinn said. “My greatest joy is seeing the people they have become.”
Sinn, herself, is an alumna of the university, a former All-MIAC player, and the winningest coach in the women’s basketball program’s history. Sinn was also inducted into the Minnesota State Girls Basketball Coaches' Association Hall of Fame in 2002.
“Having walked these halls as a player and now as a coach, this moment means something deep,” she said. “It’s about legacy and possibility. We’ve seen what our players are capable of when given every opportunity to compete, and now in Division I, they’re showing it every game.”
The same can be said about the football players. For cornerback Den Juette ’26, one of his takeaways about success that he learned from head coach Glenn Caruso is that "Student comes before athlete,” he said. “If I can’t handle my business off the field, it’ll be hard to handle it on the field.”
This past season, Caruso, who started as head coach in January 2007, was formally recognized when it was announced he’d be inducted spring 2026 into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. This honor underscores his impact on the sport statewide. The recognition arrived as Tommie football completed its first season fully eligible for FCS postseason play – another milestone layered into the broader Division I journey.
“This level asks more of everyone,” Caruso said. “But the things that matter most – preparation, accountability, relationships – those don’t change.”
Defensive back Branden Smith ’26 said being part of the Tommie program under Caruso has pushed him to think differently about his role. “It’s about looking after the future generations, and motivating them to do what they want to do and be better than the older generations like myself,” he said.
Echoing that sense of responsibility the student-athletes have is men’s basketball coach Johnny Tauer, who for the 2024-25 season, led his team to its first-ever Summit League Championship title game.
“We know how unique this moment is,” said Tauer, who has been coaching at St. Thomas since fall 2000 and head coach since 2011. “Our guys understand they’re building something that will last beyond them.”
Tauer should know. He’s a 1995 St. Thomas alum with degrees in psychology. As a student and All-American who was a starter for the Tommies' first men's Final Four qualifier, he helped St. Thomas win three MIAC titles. He was the first MIAC coach to lead a team to a regular-season conference title in each of his first six seasons.
Another head coach with a rich St. Thomas history is volleyball’s Thanh Pham. Having coached at St. Thomas since April 2003, he is a 2012 NCAA champion coach and just ended his 23rd season leading his team to earning St. Thomas’ first NCAA tournament berth at the Division I level.
“I love the process,” Pham said. “If you’re always chasing the result, you lose the joy and the growth. This group trusted the work, trusted each other – and that’s what got us here.”
Volleyball player Tezra Rudzitis ’26 said the culture at St. Thomas has helped her develop a more grounded perspective.
“We’re here because we love the sport and want to see St. Thomas grow in all aspects,” Rudzitis said, describing how the program emphasizes consistency, discipline, and collective progress.
Strength across the program
While basketball, hockey, volleyball and football have often captured the most attention, the fuller story of St. Thomas athletics is one of program-wide growth.
On the ice, the Tommies are one of the hottest teams in the country right now.
After posting their first Division I winning record in 2024-25 and advancing to the CCHA tournament championship game under head coach Rico Blasi, the Tommies men’s hockey team has continued to notch significant victories in 2025-26. They captured 10 wins in a row, more than any other D-I team, including ahead of defending national champion Western Michigan. They also had wins over ranked conference rivals like Minnesota State and a road victory over St. Cloud State.
Baseball and softball have competed deep into conference play, winning the regular season conference for both, and both will even host their conference championship this year.
Women’s sports have also continued to gain visibility and momentum.
Under Ashley Lucas, head coach of the women’s cross country and track and field teams, the Tommie women’s cross country team posted its best Division I era finish at the Summit League Championships in 2024, placing third and producing multiple All-League runners.
Cheer and dance have elevated the university’s national profile through performances that reach audiences well beyond the arena, landing them in top 5 and top 20 national finishes.
During Tommie Dance head coach Julia Harris' tenure, the Tommie Dance Team has earned seven national championships, with six in the Open level and one at the Division I level in 2023. The dance team brought home two fifth-place finishes in January 2026 and the cheer team took in two top-20 finishes at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
“Division I had to mean all of us,” Esten said. “Men’s sports, women’s sports, Olympic sports – every student-athlete deserved the same belief and investment.”
How the NCAA views that investment is reflected in how Esten’s leadership during the transition has earned national recognition. He now sits on NCAA Division I committees, a signal that St. Thomas is not only competing in Division I, but helping shape conversations at the national level.
A home that reflects commitment
Few symbols capture the belief Tommies and their fans and supporters have more clearly than the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, which has quickly become a centerpiece of campus life and a gathering place for alumni, students, and the broader Twin Cities community.
The arena was made possible through the generosity of Lee and Penny Anderson and other donors who saw athletics not as a silo, but as a catalyst for elevating the entire university. Their investment reflected confidence that athletics could amplify St. Thomas’ mission, strengthen community connection, and project the university’s values on a national stage. From championship contests to commencement ceremonies, including high school graduations, the arena embodies a vision of athletics as a unifying force for campus and community alike.
“This building represents belief,” Esten said. “Belief in our student-athletes, belief in our coaches, and belief in what St. Thomas can be.”
Esten’s leadership during this period has drawn attention beyond athletics. The Minnesota Star Tribune named him the 2025 Sportsperson of the Year, the first athletic administrator to receive the honor since its inception. The honor highlights his role in leading a program through one of the most extraordinary transitions in NCAA history and reflects the broader cultural impact of the Tommies’ rise.
Esten himself consistently points to the collaborative nature of the journey:
“This was a community effort … It’s not just about athletics,” he said. “Donors, coaches, campus partners, student-athletes – everyone leaned in. By enriching our students’ experience on campus, strengthening alumni engagement, and raising our national visibility, our move to Division I helps us to live out the distinctive St. Thomas mission in new and compelling ways.”
For alumni who remember packed Division III gyms and Tommie-Johnnie games, for donors who invested early in a bold vision, and for those encountering Tommie Athletics for the first time, the message is clear:
This is more than a passing moment. This is a new era, and the Tommies are rising within it.
