Le Moyne to Reclassify Early

Le Moyne College made a decision back in 2023 after careful consideration of looking at all of their possibilities.

They could have stayed an NCAA Division 2 institution, move to Division 3 or rise up to Division 1.

After many months of research and assessing the situation, Le Moyne chose to reclassify to Division 1 and accepted an invitation from the NEC, officially becoming a member of that conference on July 1, 2023.

After completing two years in what is a four-year reclassification model by the NCAA, the door opened to the possibility that the Dolphins could complete their reclassification a year early, meaning that after the culmination of the Spring 2026 seasons, Le Moyne would be a fully-fledged Division 1 school.

The Dolphins have decided to rise to the challenge once again, swimming through this open door to complete their reclassification in three years instead of four.

What does this mean for student-athletes and their 21 athletic programs overall?

Beginning with the Fall sports in 2026, Le Moyne will be eligible for NCAA postseason play, allowing them the opportunity to obtain automatic bids to NCAA national tournaments and championships.

Currently, the Dolphins can only compete in the postseason in their conference, the NEC, meaning they can win NEC tournaments and championships, but can go no further than that.

With their decision to reclassify in three years instead of four, Le Moyne, for example, could win the NEC Tournament in men’s basketball and automatically advance into the field of 68 schools inside the NCAA Division 1 Tournament.

This news will undoubtedly create a positive response among student-athletes who have eligibility after their 2025-26 season as well as aid in recruiting student-athletes who want there to be a chance at advancing to the national stage.