Le Moyne College Joins the Parade of NCAA Schools from D2 to D1

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

The Le Moyne College Dolphins have joined the wave of NCAA Division II teams moving to Division I, the top level of college athletics in the US. Le Moyne will begin the transition of its 21 varsity NCAA programs, including men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs, in fall 2023.

As part of that transition, Le Moyne will be ineligible for NCAA Championship competition for four seasons while they transition. The teams, which previously competed in the Northeast-10 Conference, will now competed in the Northeast Conference.

“The move to Division I and the Northeast Conference is a milestone event for Le Moyne College,” said President LeMura. “Since the College’s founding in 1946, athletics has been a vital component of our Jesuit ideal of cura personalis – care for the mind, body and soul. By making this move, we are building on a strong foundation of excellence that has been a hallmark of our student-athletes and our programs.”

The school undertook a 15 month study on whether to move the program and consulted presidents of other recent colleges that have moved from D2 to D1, who “provided insight into the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, the financial implications of competing in other conferences, and the relative risk of staying in Division II.”

“In both the short- and long-term, the College’s decision to make this move will benefit Le Moyne in a number of ways,” said Pete DiLaura ’78, chair of Le Moyne Board of Trustees. “One of the initial benefits will be the increased awareness for Le Moyne that will come from competing against institutions located in new, larger markets.”

Le Moyne becomes the third full-time addition to the NEC in the last five years, with Merrimack College and Stonehill College admitted in 2018 and 2022, respectively. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island University, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis University, Stonehill and Wagner.

The men’s swimming & diving team finished 3rd and women’s team finished 4th at the 2023 Northeast-10 Conference Championships.

The women’s team last scored at the NCAA D2 Championships in 2013, with the team’s best finish being 22nd place in 2008. That year, Allison Lesher was the NCAA D2 Champion in the 200 fly.

The men last scored at NCAAs in 2016, with a best finish of 18th place in 2004.

The teams are led by Adam Zaczkowski, who has been the program’s head coach for one season.

Jeff Dugdale, the head coach of Division II Queens, which began its transition this year, discussed the challenges of the transition in a recent interview. Queens was the dominant team in D2 before moving to D1.

UCSD also decided to eliminate its diving program midway through its four year transition period.

Other D2 programs in the midst of D2-to-D1 transitions include Lindenwood University, Bellarmine University, Merrimack College, Southern Indiana, Stonehill College, Tarleton State University (no swimming), Texas A&M University-Commerce (no swimming), and Utah Tech.

2023 Northeast Conference Championships – Women’s Swimming & Diving

1. Central Connecticut State – 659.5
2. Wagner Colege – 601.5
3. Long Island University – 520.5
4. Howard University – 498
5. Saint Francis University – 392.5
6. Sacred Heart College – 377
7. St Francis College – 285 (eliminating all athletics programs)
8. Merrimack College – 139 (D2 to D1 transition began 2019-2020)
9. Stonehill College – 120 (D2 to D1 transition began 2022-2023)

2023 Northeast Conference Championships – Men’s Swimming & Diving

1. Howard University – 928
2. Long Island University – 759
3. St Francis College – 634 (eliminating all athletics programs)
4. Wagner College – 539

Both the men’s and women’s teams will be projected to finish near the bottom of the conference in year one. The women should be able to battle with other recent D2 transfers Merrimack College and Stonehill College for 8th place, while the men project to finish 4th out of 4 teams next season.

Among the team’s best returning swimmers next season are Belal Aly, who was 3rd last year in the NE-10 in the men’s 100 fly (50.97), and Lily Bucholz, who was 7th in the 100 (54.01), 200 (1:56.07), and 500 (5:12.35) freestyles.

Le Moyne College is a private Jesuit-based four year college in DeWitt, New York, near the capital of Syracuse. Tuition for 2022-2023 academic year is $37,770 with an enrollment of around 2,800 undergraduates. That will make them among the smallest NCAA D1 schools.

The teams men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are their best athletics programs. Besides Lesher’s individual swimming title, mentioned above, the men’s lacrosse team won NCAA D2 titles in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2016, and 2021, while the women won in 2018.

SwimSwam: Le Moyne College Joins the Parade of NCAA Schools from D2 to D1