BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The Ohio Valley Conference has announced the addition of men’s soccer as the conference’s 19th-sponsored sport. Men’s soccer will begin its first year of competition in fall 2023.
Four OVC institutions currently field men’s soccer teams: Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, SIUE and Southern Indiana. In addition, Chicago State, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word and Liberty have accepted an invitation to join the Conference as affiliate members, giving the OVC eight men’s soccer programs.
“It is exciting to be able to start a sport from scratch,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “This move helps us invest in our future and makes us stronger from a membership standpoint, as well as addresses needs in the men’s soccer community.”
The OVC becomes the 24th Division I Conference to sponsor the sport of men’s soccer and will receive an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship.
Additional information, including the 2023 Conference schedule, will be announced at a later date.
| OVC Men's Soccer Institutions |
| School |
Nickname |
Location |
Coach |
| Chicago State |
Cougars |
Chicago, Ill. |
Norris Howze |
| Eastern Illinois |
Panthers |
Charleston, Ill. |
Josh Oakley |
| Houston Christian (HCU) |
Huskies |
Houston, Texas |
Ryan Pratt |
| Incarnate Word (UIW) |
Cardinals |
San Antonio, Texas |
Kiki Lara |
| Liberty |
Flames |
Lynchburg, Va. |
Kelly Findley |
| Lindenwood |
Lions |
St. Charles, Mo. |
Kris Bertsch |
| SIUE |
Cougars |
Edwardsville, Ill. |
Cale Wassermann |
| Southern Indiana |
Screaming Eagles |
Evansville, Ind. |
Mat Santoro |
The Ohio Valley Conference, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022-23, was founded in 1948, making it the eighth-oldest Division I athletic conference. Over the years OVC teams have garnered national championships in football along with national team or individual titles in the sports of rifle, cross country, track and golf. In the 1950s the OVC became a pioneer when Morehead State became one of the first non-traditionally Black mid-southern institutions to accept an African American student. Soon after the passing of Title IX legislation, the OVC began formulating plans for women's athletics, which began in 1977. The OVC has long been a national leader in sportsmanship and in 1995 implemented a first-of-its-kind Sportsmanship Statement, a policy that promotes principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's opponent. The OVC has a multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN as well as a sponsorship agreement with LEARFIELD.