In a transformative step for its athletic future, the University of New Haven will transition to NCAA Division I athletics by joining the Northeast Conference in July 2025, marking a historic leap for the Chargers and expanding the university’s visibility on a national stage.
UNH is moving from NCAA Division II to Division I, officially joining the Northeast Conference in mid-2025—a shift rumored about for years and now most recently, supported by major investments in athletic facilities and leadership that highlights the university’s commitment to shine in the competitive light, yet also their institutional growth.
Founded in 1920, the University of New Haven is a private institution located in West Haven, Connecticut. Over the years, UNH has developed quite the athletic program, currently sponsoring 20 varsity teams compared to most schools only having around 14-16. The programs that stand out are their football program and their women’s basketball program.
Previously competing in NCAA Division II as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference, the university has now committed to transitioning to Division I. This transition is supported by significant investments, including a $10 million gift for the Peterson Performance Center, which will serve as a state-of-the-art facility for training and development for their athletes.
The move to the NEC will position UNH among Connecticut’s seven Division I institutions, marking a significant milestone in its athletic and academic history. This transition reflects a much deeper vision to elevate the university’s profile and provide new opportunities for student-athletes, including full scholarships.
With the leadership of President Jens Frederiksen and Athletic Director Devin Crosby, UNH is poised to charge ahead on this new chapter of University of New Haven athletics, aiming to compete at the highest levels of collegiate athletics and compete with some of the top FCS programs in the future.
Division one prospect Ore Odutayo, a senior from Albany, N.Y., is confident that UNH could be a potential landing spot for him now that they have made the move to the NEC.
“I think it’s great that more programs are making the jump to D1,” Ore said. “It seems that the NEC has been that elevator for most programs looking to do so. Most recently we got Stonehill, Mercyhurst, Chicago state and I believe some others as well,” he said.
Although Ore can seem himself at a school like UNH, he worries about how the switch might affect their ability to be competitive.
“For me personally, I think it would be a great fit, it’s a place where I could definitely play right away, and I think coach [Ted] Hotaling is a great guy,” he said. “However, I do believe that they will struggle in the NEC. Moving to D1 from D2 will be a big jump for the program and there’s always that adjustment period that you see most teams have.”
A lot of schools have taken the opportunity to jump into the division one arena and most of these schools have a period where they struggle to adjust to the level of competition in every sport. Yet, this also provides players with new roster spots and scholarship opportunities for new coming players.
Ricardo Nieves, a senior from Springfield, Mass., is skeptical on the move to division one for the Chargers.
“I think the move should have been half and half,” he said. “Some of the sports they have can go D1 like their football program. Around the area, it’s been rumored for awhile that they were going to do this but some of their programs have been struggling in the D2 area, so I’m just not sure how this will pan out for them,” he said.
UNH has been primarily known for their football team and their all blue football field. UNH is only one of five division 2 programs and the only private school to earn an NCAA playoff bid in each of the last four seasons. With plans to make major renovations on things such as their weight room and athletic facility as a whole there is a lot riding on this teams success.
Others think that this move was bound to happen it was only a matter of time, according to senior Max Depatie from Montréal Canada.
“It was a matter of time. UNH has always been rumored to move up at least that’s just what I’ve heard since being in the area. Then once Saint Francis (A school in the NEC) announced that they were moving to D3 it left another space for a school to take its place. It seemed like UNH was the perfect fit,” he said.
Saint Francis dropping to division 3 highlights how expensive playing at the division one level truly is. Yet sometimes the profits outweigh the costs and with a school as hungry as UNH for success Max thinks that it is the “perfect fit” for the chargers and their goals.
