Lindenwood to join Ohio Valley Conference

BRENTWOOD, Tenn./ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Lindenwood University has accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

Lindenwood, which sponsors 18 of the OVC’s championship sports, will become official members on July 1, 2022.

They will join Arkansas-Little Rock, Eastern Illinois, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri State, SIU Edwardsville, Southern Indiana, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, and Tennessee-Martin as full members.

Lindenwood, which is located in St. Charles, Mo., marks only the 24th full-time member in the 74-year history of the OVC.

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“We are delighted to add Lindenwood University as the tenth member of the OVC for the 2022-23 academic year,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “President Porter’s vision for the future of the institution, along with Lindenwood’s commitment to success, its geographic alignment with the OVC and its sports offerings, including football, and our shared philosophy and values make them a great fit for the Conference. We are excited to welcome Lindenwood to our OVC community.”

Lindenwood to start transition to Division I in 2022-23 school year

Lindenwood currently competes in NCAA Division II in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The school will begin its reclassification process to Division I during the 2022-23 academic year. During this transition, they will be included in regular-season schedules and will be championship-eligible.

Lindenwood’s first full season of Division I membership will be in the 2026-27 academic year. At that time, they will be eligible to earn automatic bids for NCAA championship tournaments.

“Lindenwood is thrilled to join the Ohio Valley Conference as we apply to transition to NCAA Division I,” said Lindenwood President Dr. John Porter. “This opportunity will elevate our entire university and provide championship-level experiences our student-athletes deserve.”

“A move to NCAA Division I athletics and membership in the OVC enhances our Lindenwood University community in many ways and aligns with our strategic plan,” adds Porter. “It will drive enrollment, enhance university visibility, and generate revenue. We are eager to begin competition at this next level and look forward to welcoming OVC member schools to our campus beginning this fall.”

Since becoming an NCAA school, Lindenwood has won four national championships. In 2017, the school ranked sixth in the NCAA Directors’ Cup, which comprises of five team conference titles.

The Lions have also claimed three regional championships, 31 conference titles, and eight conference tournament championships.

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