Buffalo, NY - Canisius University President Steve Stoute knows college athletics from the inside out. As a former Division I soccer player at Seton Hall, he understands what student-athletes face. Now he's using that experience to guide Canisius through one of the biggest shifts in college sports history.
President Stoute shared his insights during a July 21 appearance on "Trustees + Presidents: Managing College Athletics," a podcast for university leaders. He discussed the financial challenges facing non-power conference schools, NIL's impact on recruiting, and Canisius's decision to opt into new NCAA rules allowing schools to pay student-athletes.
"I played soccer in college and that opportunity, that experience, the chance to compete at the Division I level had so much to do with me going to college and me pursuing higher education administration as a path," President Stoute said.
Nearly 400 of Canisius's 1,600 undergraduates compete in one of 20 sports – that's about 25% of the student body. For President Stoute, these aren't just athletes.
"They bring so much with them to Canisius in terms of their experience. They're exceptional students," he said. "Our student-athletes are students first. They're exceptional students. They engage in the classroom, in the community, and they get to compete at a high level."
Canisius initially opted out of the House settlement in April, worried about roster limits that could hurt recruitment. But after legal changes protected current athletes, the university changed course.
"We felt comfortable that we could opt in and provide an opportunity for our student-athletes to generate some additional resource through an NIL framework," President Stoute said.
The focus will be on men's and women's basketball and men's ice hockey – sports where alumni and community support run deep. The move was necessary to remain competitive with other MAAC and Atlantic Hockey America institutions in recruiting and retaining talent.
"There's a real opportunity for here if we engage with our donors and our supporters through philanthropy in a strategic and intentional way," President Stoute told coaches.
President Stoute doesn't sugarcoat where Canisius fits in today's college sports world. But he's clear about what success looks like.
"When we say compete, we mean compete for MAAC championships. And if we compete in the MAAC at our level, then there is a chance at an automatic bid to the postseason," he said.
That means March Madness for basketball and Atlantic Hockey tournaments for hockey – real opportunities for national exposure.
Despite all the changes in college athletics, President Stoute hasn't lost sight of why Canisius competes in the first place.
"I really do believe that athletics is an educational endeavor. The things you learn competing – there are very few places you learn those lessons and they will serve you well no matter what you do in life," he said.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
