COMMENTARY PIECE

Jazzmely Fajardo, Women’s Ice Hockey Beat Repoter

Quinnipiac athletics, what is going on? This past year has seen a series of events that have been disappointing, especially from an athletics program that is supposed to be prestigious.

On April 14, news broke that the women’s rugby team would be downgraded to a club team and replaced as a varsity sport with a men’s distance track team. While the university has cited Title IX compliance as the reason for the decision, replacing a women’s team with a men’s team raised  serious questions and didn’t sit right with some students. 

The women’s rugby team has been successful for years. The team has three national championships and produced a medaling Olympian, Ilona Maher, who has been vocal about the news.

She has been public about her anger with Quinnipiac Athletics and has shared her support for the young women on the rugby team. But she’s not the only person who is angry. More than 17,000 people have signed a petition on change.org to reinstate the women’s rugby team. 

Critics also have shared their thoughts about the decision, some wondering what will happen to the players’ scholarships since they no longer would be considered Division I athletes. This is a huge concern since Quinnipiac is nowhere near an affordable school for an average person. 

These athletes worked extremely hard to become Division I athletes, many choosing Quinnipiac because of the rugby program. You would think they would at least deserve the respect to learn this news before everyone else. But nope, they found out like the rest of us  – through social media.

That’s what makes the decision even more frustrating. This wasn’t a struggling team that needed to be cut. It was a successful program. Quinnipiac had three national championships and athletes competing at the highest levels. Despite the success, it will be removed. When a program can win and still not be protected, it sends a clear message that performance alone doesn’t guarantee protection. That’s what makes this situation harder to defend.

At Quinnipiac, winning has always been part of the identity. From national championships to consistent playoff appearances, success is expected. But lately, the standard feels less certain. With coaches leaving, numerous athletes entering the transfer portal and teams getting demoted with no warning, it raises a real question. Are Quinnipiac athletics on a downfall?

In March, women’s basketball head coach Tricia Fabbri announced she would retire. After more than 30 years leading the program, she was more than just the coach, she was the foundation. Fabbri built Quinnipiac into a consistent winner, with multiple NCAA tournament appearances and a reputation as one of the top mid-major programs.

That’s why the transition raised some questions. Quinnipiac quickly hired Roman Owen as the next head coach, who brings some experience but doesn’t have the same long track record as a head coach at this level. 

On social media, there has already been criticism. Some fans felt the program “ran off a legend,” while others called the hire risky. There were also concerns about timing, especially with the transfer portal open. And if there’s anywhere this kind of instability shows up immediately, it’s the transfer portal.

According to QU Sports News, Quinnipiac has up to 10 athletes entering the transfer portal. Four of the athletes were from the women’s basketball team, three from men’s basketball, two from men’s ice hockey and one from women’s ice hockey. When multiple programs from one school are losing players at the same time it stops looking like a coincidence and starts to seem like a pattern.

The transfer portal isn’t random. And players don’t leave without a reason and they definitely don’t leave a stable, successful program without a reason. Whether it’s uncertainty, coaching, changed, or a lack of direction, something is clearly going on in athletics.

For a program that built its reputation on consistency and success, this level of movement is very concerning. It makes a series of questions pop up: Could something bigger be happening behind the scenes, or is Quinnipiac just not meeting the standard?

The standard: win championships and bring titles home.

Three years ago, the men’s hockey team was holding an NCAA trophy. This year, it got blown out by North Dakota in the Regional Finals, by a score of 5-0. As for the women’s team, it won the ECAC championship this year but is still chasing an NCAA title. 

If there’s one team that clearly shows a step back, it’s men’s basketball. Just one season after finishing first in the MAAC with a 15-5 conference record, the team dropped to 12-8 and finished fourth. But the bigger issue isn’t just the standings, it’s the expectations. This team was picked No. 1 in the preseason poll, yet it failed to live up to that, falling short of what was supposed to be a dominant year.

For a program that was at the top of the conference, falling out of that position quickly raises questions. Teams don’t go from first place to the middle of the standings without something changing. Whether it’s roster turnover, coaching, or just the overall direction, something isn’t clicking like it used to.

And when that drop in performance is happening at the same time as players entering the transfer portal, it becomes even harder to ignore. Especially when all five starters enter the transfer portal. 

The women’s basketball team, with a record of 27-6 and a first-place finish in the MAAC, should be in stable position. Instead, players are looking elsewhere right after Fabbri’s retirement. When players start to leave a winning program, it creates doubt about whether they actually believe in what’s next

Athletics are under fire not only for what’s going on, how they treated the announcement of Fabbri, the transfer portal doubts, but now for demoting a winning Division I women’s rugby team. When you start to connect the decision with everything else happening across Quinnipiac athletics, it’s clear there is a problem. 

Quinnipiac has a history of winning, consistency and a strong athletic program. But right now, the future of athletics is not looking bright. With teams under performing, coaches leaving, athletes potentially transferring out and demoting a successful team, it just makes you think: Is the athletic program in a downfall?