The NCAA gave the University of St. Thomas permission Wednesday to jump directly from Division III to Division I, the final clearance for a bold move born out of the Minnesota private school’s ejection from its conference for competitive reasons.
The Tommies, who previously secured a spot in the Summit League for all but three of their 22 varsity teams, announced they’ll join the Pioneer League for football and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for women’s hockey. The men’s hockey program is still in the process of finding a conference home.
The NCAA’s Division I council ruled in June that St.