Our mission at Franciscan University is to educate, evangelize and send forth joyful disciples. In athletics, we have a unique calling to accomplish this through sport. The primary purpose of the Athletic Department is to create an environment that brings people closer to Jesus. Our vocation is special because we leave the classroom but remain within the sphere of learning. We enter fields of competition with the goal of spreading the charisms of Dynamic Orthodoxy, Evangelization, Hospitality, Joy, Ongoing Conversion, Human Dignity and Family. 

The department embraces the philosophy that our purpose is to assist students, faculty and staff in growing closer to Jesus through athletic programming that includes intercollegiate athletics, intramurals, recreational sports and wellness programming. These are offered as a part of our educational mission.  

The foundation of athletics at Franciscan is growing in the love of Jesus, therefore, Franciscan Athletics must be rooted in three pillars – the value of the human person, the value of the educational formation of the human person and the value of people serving in community (athletic teams).  Those individuals serving our athletic programs are expected to foster and maintain the essential qualities and attitudes of self-knowledge, autonomy, competition, cooperation and sacrifice to achieve the purpose of self-mastery and discipline. 

As a Catholic university, Franciscan is committed to traditional Catholic values that have been a part of the University’s history. The development of the person - mind, body and spirit – is a unique role of the department of athletics. The fostering of Christian character, the call to personal integrity, and the acceptance of personal responsibility are characteristics that evolve from our departments fostering of the pursuit of Faith, Virtue, Knowledge and Self-Control. 

Value Statements 

• We aid in creating a faith-centered environment that both educates and mentors the concept of continued personal conversion.
• We respect and understand the personal worth of each student and help nurture the diversity that exists within the campus community.
• We recognize that no responsibility exceeds the mission of educating and graduating the student athletes.
• We mirror the academic challenge given to our student-athletes by offering an equally challenging athletic experience at the Division III level.
• We ensure that the varsity student athletes are integrated to all facets of campus life.
• We use Finnegan Fieldhouse and its recreational components to promote interaction between students, faculty and staff.
• We offer intramural and recreational opportunities to promote interaction between students, faculty and staff.
• We recognize the importance of providing equitable opportunities for both men and women.
• We promote the values of honesty, commitment, hard work, dedication and self-sacrifice.
• We recognize the integral role that athletics plays in providing unity, high morale, and spirit among students, employees, alumni and friends.