St. Francis is the second program that will leave Division I play ahead of the 2023 season. By Brian Ludden
St. Francis Brooklyn will be eliminating its athletic program and all 21 of its sports teams including men’s and women’s soccer, the school announced on Monday. The decision to cut the athletic program is a part of St. Francis College’s SFC Forward: Strategic Vision for 2023 & Beyond plan, which includes investment in new academic programs. The school also cited that, “increased operating expenses, flattening revenue streams, and plateauing enrollment due in part to a shrinking pool of high school graduates in the aftermath of the pandemic” led to the decision.
The announcement means that St. Francis is the second team that will leave the Division I level ahead of next season, with the University of Hartford moving to Division III.
The Terriers men’s soccer team won 11 conference championships (nine in the Northeast Conference, two in the ECAC) and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances (most recently in the 2020/21 season, where they lost 3-1 on PKs to eventual runners-up, Indiana). St. Francis finished the 2022 season with an 8-5-6 record, and advanced to the NEC championship game where they fell to Fairleigh Dickinson. St Francis head coach Tom Giovatto and his staff were named the NEC Coaching Staff of the Year in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The Terriers women’s soccer team was added in 2019. The St. Francis Brooklyn women finish with a combined record of 9 wins, 41 losses, and 10 draws across four seasons. They never qualified for the NEC Tournament or NCAA Tournament. Izzy Gollette was the program’s top scorer, with seven goals across her career.
Brian Ludden is a contributing writer for College Soccer News. He can be reached at collegesoccernews@yahoo.com
