12/31/25

SCRANTON, Pa. -- For the third-straight year, Lackawanna College Athletics will review the past 12 months and highlight the top 14 athletics stories and moments from the year that was. 

Today's final top event from 2025 was a momentus and historic announcement in Lackawanna College athletics from this past summer

#1: Lackawanna College Announces Move To NCAA DII And The PSAC
In late June, Lackawanna College made one of the most important and groundbreaking announcements in the history of both the athletics program and the Institution as a whole: Lackawanna College had officially received an invitation to become a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), competing at the Division II level of the NCAA, and the Falcons would intend to accept that invitation and immediately begin the process of transitioning to a four-year athletics competition model. 

At the time, Dr. Jill Murray, M.D, the Chief Innovation Officer and President at Lackawanna College, said this: "This is a transformative moment for Lackawanna College. We are committed to finding innovative ways to broaden our offerings in both academics and athletics so that students of all backgrounds can pursue their dreams.Our invitation to join the PSAC is a direct result of this mission and validates the investments we've made in academic quality, athletic infrastructure, and student-athlete success. We are proud to join a conference known for its excellence both on the field and in the classroom."

The move to NCAA Division II will allow Lackawanna to grow its two-year athletics program into a four-year program, giving future student-athletes greater opportunities to complete their bachelor's degrees while competing at an elite level. Lackawanna College will be the third institution nationally to transition from the NJCAA directly to NCAA Division II and the second to do so with a football program. Dixie State (Now Utah Tech) went from the junior college ranks to NCAA DII back in 2006. They are now Division I and set to join the Big Sky Conference.

The moment marks a significant shift in the athletics space for Lackawanna College. It means significant investments will be made in the department, which includes hiring more staff, improving facilities, adding sports, potentially exploring new fields and facilities, and shoring up the coaches and transitioning them to full-time. 

Soon after the announcement, Lackawanna College confirmed that head women's volleyball coach Shelby Reese would had been elevated to be the Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Success, while also retaining her coaching position.A week or so later, head baseball coach Mike McCarry was added to the full-time staff, securing a coach that has been to four World Series and won 200 games in seven years of action for the Falcons.

In the late summer, work and construction began inside the Lackawanna College Student Union first floor meeting area, beginning the process of transforming the large space into the new and spacious Falcon Performance Center, complete with a wall of free weights, several racks, and a large turfed area in the middle for speed workouts, conditioning, and more. That space was completed in late September, and the student-athletes resumed their workouts the first week of October.

After the conclusion of the fall season, women's soccer head coach Juan Almonte joined the full-time staff, with more positions planned to be added to full-time status as the academic year goes on.

Starting in the 2026-2027 season, Lackawanna College athletics will compete exclusively against four-year institutions, including a full PSAC schedule, in all sports. The Falcons will apply for NCAA membership and advance through the process until eventually gaining full membership in both the PSAC and NCAA Division II. It's a process that could take anywhere from three-to-five years, depending on a whole host of factors.

It's an incredible undertaking that the College has been exploring from as far back as 2018. The pieces finally began to fall into place in the last two years, and brought Lackawanna and the PSAC to this historic date in June. 

The 2025-2026 season will be the last for Lackawanna in the NJCAA, and while it is a bittersweet moment for the Falcons to be leaving the only association they have competed in since 1958, this move is what's best for the future of Lackawanna College athletics and its student-athletes.

Top 14 Moments Of 2025 For Lackawanna College Athletics  
14) Women's Wrestling Makes History With Dual Victories
13) Coaching Changes Bring New Faces, Perspectives
12) First-Team All-Region Performances For MBB And WBB
11) Lackawanna Wrestling Sends Five To Nationals
10) Lackawanna College Esports Raises $7K For Charity
9) 57 Student-Athletes Named All-Academic NJCAA
8) Hofmann Named POTY, Falcons Earn All-Season Nods
7) Emmalee Mowery Named As NJCAA All-American In Softball
6) Three Football Falcons Earn All-American Honors
5) Hughes Wins Region POTY, One Of Two All-Americans For Falcons
4) Rocket League Wins NJCAAE Fall 2025 National Championship
3) Baseball's Magical Postseason Run To The World Series
2) Mark Duda Announces His Retirement
1) Lackawanna College Announces Move To NCAA DII and the PSAC