I’m sad. Just a matter of days following the impending closure of Concordia (NY), penned so eloquently by Chris Granozio, huge news developed just after the musings dropped last week. If you haven’t heard, the Philadelphia Inquirer broke the story of an impending merger between the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and Saint Joesph’s (PA).
The future, from an athletics’ point of view, is painted bleakly. Sciences will morph into Saint Joe’s and the duo will be one institution with one athletic department. This is most similar to the absorption of LIU Post into LIU Brooklyn, except those two school had a connection.
I can’t imagine how hard this is for the people directly challenged by this impending union and hope for a last minute miracle. Allow me be 100% clear, nobody who talked to the Musings painted a rosy picture. Of all the schools where there were rumblings about financial trouble, Sciences was never mentioned, which makes this all the more stunning.
The Musings has been informed that unless the merger doesn’t happen, a best-case scenario would be the Devils concluding athletic activities following the 2021-2022 season. There are lots of moving parts, but there are a few things I hope for.
Take care of the student-athletes. Let’s be honest. Schools that have closed have not always done the right thing. While often the Athletic Department is hamstrung in these situations, cross your fingers Saint Joe’s administration allows players who want their cherished USP (I know, old school) diploma to get one. That means it says Sciences on the Diploma.
I can’t believe that the coaching staff of the Devils read about the merger in the paper. It’s hard to keep a secret in the social media age. There are a lot of great people that make their work residence at 600 SOUTH 43RD STREET, home of the Bobby Morgan Arena. I hope they all work at Sciences as long as they desire, but if that isn’t the case may they land on their feet.
I can’t help but see the parallels to LIU Post women’s hoop team’s final season and Sciences. The Pioneers had three seasons in one in 2018 (their final campaign). They began 11-1 and looked poised for an at-large, but somewhere along the line, they hit the wall. Somehow, they still managed to get the ship righted and at 19-11 navigated into the ECC Finals where again they ran out of steam. Deirdre Moore always had her teams prepared and so has Devils head coach Jackie Hartzell.
I’d love to see a documentary film on the Sciences ladies’ “Final Season”. Hartzell is a four-time (in seven seasons) CACC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year. Her assistant, Jimmy Ricci, is a walking quote. Seems like a good idea!
University of the Sciences is considered the oldest pharmacy school in the nation, founded in 1821.
There have been proposed mergers that haven’t happened and maybe this article could be irrelevant in a matter of weeks, but even if it’s not, it’s merely the tip of the iceberg to an ever changing college landscape.
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Tim McCaffrey is a journalist, broadcaster, marketing specialist, and umpire. He can be reached at tpmccaffrey@gmail.com