SAINT FRANCIS UNIVERSITY
Athletics & Recreation
OVERVIEW
Home of the Red Flash!
Our fans create such an electric atmosphere at athletics events, we consider them an extra teammate! Whether it's students, teachers, parents, Franciscan friars, or members of the local community, our fans stay involved in the action (but rarely in their seats)! We are continually upgrading facilities for our 23 Division I sports teams, creating a community both on-field and off-field for our athletes. Next time you're in Loretto, be sure to catch an athletics event!
Stokes Athletic Center
History
DeGol Arena in the Maurice Stokes Athletics Center has been the home of Red Flash Athletics for the past 50 years. The facility, built in 1971 and named in honor of the late Maurice Stokes, houses all Saint Francis athletic administration and staff.
Last renovated in 1994, the Stokes Center includes a natatorium, an indoor running track, and an auxiliary gymnasium. The centerpiece of the complex is the 3,500-seat DeGol Arena that serves as home to the Red Flash men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball programs. The athletic department’s administrative and coaches’ offices are also located in the building.
Stokes, who played at the University from 1951-55, led Saint Francis to back-to-back National Invitational Tournament appearances in 1954 and 1955. Stokes was drafted into the NBA by the Rochester Royals prior to the 1955-56 season. He was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and was a three-time All-Star before his career was tragically cut short by a bout with encephalopathy. He battled the condition for twelve years before his death in 1970.
He was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994.
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DeGol Field
About
DeGol Field – located on the site of the historic Pine Bowl – is the home to Red Flash field hockey, football, lacrosse, and track & field.
After an extensive renovation, the facility reopened in 2005 and was renamed in honor of Bruno and Lena DeGol, the lead donors of the facelift project. The installation of an artificial SportExe surface, a new grandstand and press box, lights, permanent restrooms, and the Father Bede Hines Track rounded out the first phase of the project.
The DeGol Fieldhouse – featuring a weight room and locker room facilities – was completed in the summer of 2009. The most recent addition to the complex was is the state-of-the-art scoreboard and message center in the north endzone.