LAURINBURG — The looming closure of St. Andrews University has sent shockwaves through its campus and beyond, spelling the end of both an academic institution and the only NAIA football team in the state.
Founded in 1958, the university will shut its doors permanently on May 5 due to mounting financial difficulties and declining enrollment. With its closure comes the sudden dissolution of the Knights football program, which began in 2017 and had become a symbol of ambition and resilience within a small, tight-knit community.
The team had been rebuilding under new head coach Matt Quinn, who had started locking in 2025 recruits and laying groundwork for a turnaround season. That momentum came to a halt when student-athletes were informed they would need to find new homes for the fall.
“It felt like we were on the brink of something better,” said one player. “Then it was all gone overnight.”
St. Andrews’ departure from the college football scene reduces North Carolina’s number of football programs to 33 and leaves a notable gap in the NAIA landscape. The local community, which had embraced the program with increasing enthusiasm, now faces the loss of not just weekend games but an institution that brought energy and visibility to the region.
As the university prepares to close, students, athletes, and staff are navigating abrupt transitions, their shared future now scattered across new directions.
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