Thanks to a strong backing from administrators, fans and alumni, Le Moyne is ready to make the jump from DII to DI, the NCAA's highest level.

“It's evidence that the Dolphins are ready to swim into the deep waters of Division I athletics,” Northeast Conference Commissioner Noreen Morris said Thursday.

That will now become a reality on July 1, when Le Moyne joins the Northeast Conference. One thing Le Moyne won’t have to worry about are its facilities. All of them meet Division I requirements.

But one immediate impact will be on the student-athletes. Per NCAA rules, Le Moyne will be ineligible for the NCAA Tournament for four years, and won't be able to compete for NEC crowns for two years. Le Moyne administrators were not fans of the rule, but a student-athlete said you just have to roll with the punches.

“When you really look back and reflect. You look at the whole season and everything that you experienced as a whole," Le Moyne basketball player Isaiah Salters said. "So I just tell them to try to be as present as possible. Being the best version of yourselves to everything that they do and cherish each moment, because it's going to go by faster than they realize. And these, like a lot of older people telling me, 'these are the best times of our lives.' So, you know, really cherish and just bring your best self and everything will take care of itself.”

“It's a topic that many would like to discuss," Le Moyne Athletic Director Bob Beretta said. "We're among that group that would like to discuss it. We would love to see that reduced from four years to perhaps three or two. I think that we there's a chance that that could happen during the course of our four-year reclassification. Having said that, we understand the terms of our agreement. We signed up for that and we're prepared to go through that process. If it's four years, so be it. If it's reduced, I think that would be exceptionally well received by our community and our student athletes. But we're prepared to compete at the highest level today.”

“They are draconian rules that need to be revisited and studied," Le Moyne President Linda LeMura added. "A carte blanche rule like that does not suit or fit all institutions. But for now, we play within the rules of the game, so to speak. And we'll make the best of the situation in ways that Le Moyne Dolphins always do.”

The school will greatly benefit in the long run. On top of competing at the high stage of college athletics, the hope is to connect more with alumni everywhere.

And who knows, maybe even add some sports down the line.

“We're analyzing a slew of sports on the women's and men's side," Lemura said. "We have discussed men's volleyball, is one example. We're also in very preliminary discussions about hockey, and that would be a natural fit given our location, and we're particularly excited about the prospect of women's hockey. We will keep you posted. I promise you on that.”

Le Moyne started the process of moving up in 2022, with a school committee of faculty, athletes, alumni and community members — followed by the Board of Trustees — voting in favor of such a move. The school will finish its 2022-23 school year in the Northeast-10 Conference and Division II. It has been a Northeast-10 member for 27 years.