NE10 LANDING PAGE - DII 50th ANNIVERSARY

Franklin Pierce Joined the NE10 in 2000-01.

MANSFIELD, Mass. - Franklin Pierce University, an institution that has collected a remarkable eight combined NCAA Division II national championships in men's and women's soccer, first joined the Division as a full member in the 1989-90 academic year. Upon making its permanent new home in Division II, the Ravens have enjoyed success ever since.

Originally an NCAA Division III member from 1972 to 1975, Franklin Pierce College - as it was then known - left the NCAA in 1976 to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Women's athletics were introduced to the College in 1975 with the inception of the women's basketball program. In 1987, Franklin Pierce was accepted for dual membership in NCAA Division II and NAIA, with participation to commence in 1988. A year later, the school became a full-time member of Division II and joined the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). 

It wasn't until the 2000-01 academic year that Franklin Pierce College was one of five institutions to join the Northeast-10 Conference, along with New Hampshire College (renamed later to Southern New Hampshire), the University of Massachusetts Lowell, The College of Saint Rose and Southern Connecticut State University. The expansion moved the NE10 to 15 full member institutions. Franklin Pierce would go on to earn University status in 2007. 

Bruce Kirsh spent 45 years at Franklin Pierce - including 39 years as Director of Athletics. He helped lead the school into NE10 membership, which is where Franklin Pierce has won three men's soccer national championships (2007, 2022, 2023). Kirsh's biggest impact can still be felt on campus due to the facility improvements during his tenure - including the construction of Sodexo Field, Pappas Field, the Pappas Training Center and the new softball facility. Kirsh also served as men's basketball head coach for 12 years and compiled a 254-119 (.719) mark. He also spent time as the school's baseball, softball, golf, women's basketball and women's tennis coach. 

Dr. George Hagerty, the President of Franklin Pierce from 1995 to 2009, oversaw the institution's move to the NE10 as well as its transition to University status. Hagerty served as head of the NCAA Division II Presidents' Council from 2005-06 and of the NE10 Presidents' Council from 2007-08. Cindy Arman is another influential figure at Franklin Pierce, serving in a variety of roles in the athletic department since August of 1985 - including but not limited to head coach of the softball program from 1986-90, followed by her roles as Compliance Coordinator and Head Athletic Trainer. Arman still serves in a part-time role for athletic training in the fall seasons at Franklin Pierce. 

Since joining the NE10, eight individuals and one team from Franklin Pierce have been elected to the NE10 Hall of Fame - including Hagerty and Kirsh. The 2007 Franklin Pierce men's soccer team, which won the NCAA Division II national title, was inducted in 2016. James Thorpe, a member of the 2007 men's soccer team, was part of the NE10 Hall of Fame Class of 2018 after earning NSCAA National Player of the Year, being named a three-time All-American and a four-time NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year during his college career. 

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Just five years after joining Division II, Franklin Pierce women's soccer captured the school's first national championship in 1994 and finished the season with a perfect 19-0 record. It was the start of a "four-peat" - four-straight Division II national titles for the program (1994-97) - as well as five championships in six years (also 1999). The Ravens had a stunning overall record of 98-2 in those five seasons under head coaches Mark Krikorian (1994-95) and Jeff Bailey (1996-97, 1999). 
• Franklin Pierce has built a men's soccer powerhouse since joining the NE10, as it won national championships in 2007, 2022 and 2023. In those three seasons, the Ravens posted a combined record of 63-2-7 (.924) - including a pair of back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2022 (25-0-1) and 2023 (21-0-2). In each of the past two seasons, it beat Colorado State-Pueblo to win the national title under head coaches Ruben Resendes and Travis Brent, respectively.
• During its first two decades as an NE10 member, Franklin Pierce made national headlines on the baseball diamond. Whether it be College World Series appearances or MLB Draft picks, Franklin Pierce enjoyed unprecedented success under head coach Jayson King - who led the program for 17 seasons and achieved a record of 606-282-3 (.682). He was a six-time ABCA/Rawlings Region Coach of the Year and a seven-time NEIBA Division II Coach of the Year. The Ravens won five NE10 Championships and six Regional titles under King, as well as making three trips to the NCAA national semifinals. 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DIVISION II

Bruce Kirsh, Former Director of Athletics

"NCAA Division II has been an ideal fit for Franklin Pierce over the past 35 years. Transitioning from the NAIA in 1989, it provided Franklin Pierce with an opportunity to improve its academic and athletic reputation nationally and provide student-athletes with balance in their lives - academically, athletically and socially." 

Division II 50th Anniversary - Franklin Pierce University

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.