Andrew Noel, Staff Writer

Last week La Salle University announced that its football team would be returning with the hope that the team will start playing in the 2025-2026 season. This announcement comes after years of pressure from students, faculty and alumni alike, and it will mark the end of a decade-long absence from the college football scene.  

There is still a lot to be determined before play can begin, such as what conference the Explorers football team will play in. Given that the A-10 conference has no other football programs, La Salle will have to find another conference to join, with the PAC-12 being the early favorite to host La Salle’s football team.

This move marks the beginning of a new era for La Salle sports, with there being hope that Men’s Water Polo, Cricket and Australian Rules Football teams will soon be introduced. 

Another goal for La Salle’s athletic department is to introduce a new mascot, with the most popular rumor at the moment being that he will be called the Finder, and will only be rivaled by Gritty and the Philly Phanatic in terms of dominance in the mascot world. 

“This is all very exciting,” said President Dan Allen, “We hope that these additions to the athletic  department at La Salle will help us usher in a new era of gold.”

“We need to be drivers of innovation in the collegiate sports scene,” commented athletic director Ash Puri. “We hope that by introducing Cricket and Australian Rules football, as well as bringing back Men’s Water Polo and Football, we will become the go-to university  for only the best high school athletes, not just in the United States, but around the world.” 

The addition of these programs will have a large financial effect on the school. The long-term goal is that the additions of these teams will help drive revenue growth. However, President Allen admitted that there would be some sacrifices made in the short term.

“Absolutely,” Allen said. “In the near term, I think that students can expect some changes to life around campus.” When asked to elaborate, Allen said that students should expect dining options to continue to be limited, as well as showers, especially in underclassmen dorms (with little to no access to hot water). 

La Salle has always been a driver of innovation in the academic community, and the university hopes that these changes to the athletic department will aid  La Salle’s efforts in leading the way to new horizons for students and faculty. Only time will tell.