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| Rosemont athletics photo |
Rosemont College and Villanova University have entered into a merger agreement that will preserve the legacy and heritage of Rosemont and merge the neighboring institutions. During this multi-year transition, Rosemont College will continue operating as a separate entity, providing students the opportunity to graduate with Rosemont degrees.
Rosemont will be the second Division III school in the Philadelphia area which Villanova will have taken over, following the school's purchase of Cabrini, news of which D3sports.com broke in June 2023. In addition, it is the second Philadelphia-area school and member of the United East Conference to be losing Division III athletics, following the news last week of Bryn Athyn shutting down athletics.
According to the Villanova release, Rosemont would seemingly be able to continue separate athletics through the 2027-28 academic year, however, a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer clarifies that to say that Rosemont's athletics would transition to club status after the 2025-26 season.
The school has 13 NCAA Division III sports teams, competing in the United East Conference, which is in its current form because the former North Eastern Athletic Conference merged with the Colonial States Athletic Conference. The UEC was formed in this alignment specifically to guard against individual member institutions closing, or dropping athletics.
Rosemont, which started admitting men as undergraduates a little over 15 years ago, had just 347 full-time undergraduates as of its most recent filing with the U.S. Department of Education, for the 2022-23 academic year.
“The leaders of both boards have worked to create a true partnership that recognizes the changing higher education landscape while ensuring a smooth transition for Rosemont students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Maria Feeley, chair of the Rosemont board of trustees. “Rosemont is proud to announce this next chapter, which will build on our decades-long relationship with Villanova and preserve Rosemont’s mission.”
“Villanova and Rosemont enjoy a longstanding connection, and many families in the Greater Philadelphia region celebrate alumni from both institutions,” said Villanova president the Rev. Peter M. Donohue. “This merger agreement represents a unique and powerful opportunity for our two institutions given our shared commitment to advancing Catholic higher education, our close physical proximity and deep alumni connections.”
“We are committed to securing the best possible options for our students, faculty and staff and believe this merger with Villanova offers the best opportunity to ensure that the Rosemont College history and legacy endures,” said Rosemont president Jim Cawley.
During the transition, the first phase of which will start in 2027, Rosemont College's educational and many extracurricular activities will continue as planned—supported by Rosemont faculty and staff. Rosemont students who have not completed their degree by 2028 will have multiple options, which include the ability to transfer to Villanova’s College of Professional Studies where they will have the opportunity to complete a degree.
Following the transition, Rosemont will become “Villanova University, Rosemont Campus,” and the campus will honor the legacy of Rosemont's founders, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. The terms of the merger are subject to approval from The Middle States Commission on Higher Education as well as state and federal regulators.