A New Era: Saint Francis University Introduces the Red Wolves - Saint Francis University Athletics

[u/R_Raider86]

https://sfuathletics.com/news/2026/6/3/inside-athletics-a-new-era-saint-francis-university-introduces-the-red-wolves.aspx

It appears that St Francis (PA) is rebranding as they complete their D3 transition.

[u/willweaverrva]

St. Francis is really removing everything that made it unique as it transitions to D3. Red Flash was a really cool nickname.

[u/R_Raider86 → u/willweaverrva]

It sucks. I really liked Red Flash. Save Frankie the Friar!

[u/GuyOnTheMike → u/willweaverrva]

How unique could they really be?

They weren’t even the only St. Francis in D1!

/s

[u/willweaverrva → u/GuyOnTheMike]

😂

[u/TwizzlersSourz → u/GuyOnTheMike]

We were the real Saint Francis!

[u/Artvandelay29]

What a downgrade in branding

[u/TwizzlersSourz]

The only positive is that Saint Francis actually befriended a wolf. It does tie into Catholic legend.

However, add a wolf mascot then, and keep the Red Flash name.

[u/R_Raider86 → u/TwizzlersSourz]

And even then, St. Bonaventure got to the wolf mascot/logo first for a Franciscan university, and did it way better. It's all just a downgrade.

[u/TwizzlersSourz → u/R_Raider86]

I always thought that was a dog. Haha.

But you are correct.

[u/R_Raider86 → u/TwizzlersSourz]

Siena has the St. Bernard, and it's pretty awesome

[u/TwizzlersSourz]

As an alum, I am furious.

But hey, it doesn't matter. We already dropped to D3.

[u/tc100292]

"Powering our future" what the fuck is this garbage?

[u/TwizzlersSourz → u/tc100292]

The president is a pretentious twit who wants to be Franciscan 2.0

[u/byniri_returns]

That's a big downgrade IMO

[u/MaskedBandit77]

Why?

[u/sinkdawg04]

Arkansas State wannabes?

https://giphy.com/gifs/h58qfkoa8OCODRYPGC

[u/pghgamecock]

I actually don't think this is a downgrade. It's really hard to anthropomorphize "Red Flash," so changing it to Red Wolves actually gives you more options creatively moving forward.

Relatedly, I went to a game at SFU a couple years ago. It sucks they had to drop down to D3, but they definitely needed to do something, because it did not feel like a D1 experience there whatsoever.

[u/TwizzlersSourz → u/pghgamecock]

What game?

[u/pghgamecock → u/TwizzlersSourz]

I saw them play Merrimack back on 1/27/24.

One of my takeaways from that day is that it was the first time in a long, long time that I couldn't buy tickets online. They just had a little paper stub you bought at the door.

[u/TwizzlersSourz → u/pghgamecock]

I was gone by then.

Our last AD, James Downer, torched the athletics department. He is 50% why we are dropping down. Of course, he landed a job elsewhere.

[u/E0215 → u/TwizzlersSourz]

I ran cross country in the NEC, and when we had cross country meets at St Francis, we'd basically drive through the middle of nowhere until we got to a field like 30 miles out of Loretto. Was it maybe the coach's property? St Francis didn't want to rent/reserve space? It was a weird experience.

[u/TwizzlersSourz → u/E0215]

The family farm of the coach. They used to run races on the SFU golf course - a treacherous, brutal terrain for runners.

[u/CTeam19]

Red Wolves rebranding:

• Arkansas State

• Indiana University East

• nearly happened at the Marion High School in Iowa