The OVC was in the news for the second-straight day on Wednesday with the announcement that the conference will be adding Lindenwood as a member. This comes the day after the OVC announced a football alliance with the Big South Conference.

Lindenwood will be making the jump from Division II to Division I and joining the conference on July 1, 2022. This is the same date the Little Rock and Southern Indiana are set to join the conference. Both Lindenwood and Southern Indiana are currently members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Lindenwood also has a football program, unlike Little Rock and Southern Indiana, which will crucially give the OVC six programs next season. That is the minimum required for a conference’s champion to receive an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs. The Lions won their conference title last season and also in 2019, but will not be eligible for automatic bids until the 2026-27 seasons.

The addition will also keep the OVC to 10 members, as the three recent additions will replace Austin Peay, Belmont and Murray State, all of which are leaving the conference this summer.

The Eastern women’s basketball team played its season opener against Lindenwood back in November, with the Panthers winning 86-30.