Some good news could be coming later this winter for athletes at the University of St. Thomas.
St. Thomas was put on a five year probationary period after transitioning from Division III to Division I in 2021. That could be changing, according to St. Thomas Vice President and Athletic Director Phil Esten who talked with Tom Hauser on the WCCO Morning News.
"The NCAA is considering a reduction of a year in the provisional period and we'll follow that through January," says Esten. "But I'm very, very optimistic about the year."
The NCAA requires a reclassification period to make sure schools uphold the standards athletically and academically of a Division I program, but with the success of several programs, St. Thomas is ahead of schedule. The Tommies left the DIII MIAC and made the unprecedented jump all the way up to Division I.
The probation period bars St. Thomas from participating in any postseason competitions outside their conference.
The St. Thomas football team, which went 10-1 and won the Pioneer Football League championship in its first season as an FCS school, though they could not compete in the FCS playoffs due to the reclassification period. Other sports have had success as well, making the transition to DI faster than most would have expected, including the NCAA.
St. Thomas men's hockey has received top-20 votes in the latest USCHO poll and the women's team is 4-0 (2-0 in the WCHA) to start the season. Both of those teams would definitely be candidates for the postseason if eligible.
It's not all "on the court or field" however.
College sports is certainly in transition, with the rise of the transfer portal and name-image-likeness deals giving much more control to athletes, and making it harder for a small school to build up their programs.
Part of what can help is improving the facilities on the St. Thomas campus. The university received a $75 million gift from alums that will be used to build a new multi-purpose arena that will serve the hockey and basketball teams beginning in the fall of 2025.
However, construction of that new arena has been challenged in court by nearby residents. Construction will continue despite a decision this week by the Minnesota Supreme Court which ruled the university must complete a new environmental study. Neighbors sued over environmental concerns including an increase in traffic.
"We feel as if right now, we're still gonna continue to build because we've got certain permits and we feel like there's some, like safety and some other conditions on site, and it's important for us to continue to make the progress there," Esten explained.
The new study is up for public comment through November 7. Neighbors argue construction of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena should be paused until the new environmental study is complete.