University Of Arkansas At Little Rock Joins Ohio Valley Conference

/in /by

The Brentwood-based Ohio Valley Conference has welcomed the University of Arkansas Little Rock as its newest member. The OVC has seen the departure of four schools over the past two years.

Little Rock, which sponsors 13 of the OVC’s 19 championship sports, will become official members on July 1, 2022. The University marks only the 22nd full-time member in the 74-year history of the Ohio Valley Conference.

“The OVC is delighted to add Little Rock to its membership, given its history of competitive success and its commitment to student-athletes,” says OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “As we discussed the process of membership, there was an immediate acknowledgment that the values of our conference and their institution align. Our intention is to create a long-lasting partnership that will enhance the student-athlete experience and strengthen the competitive success of the entire OVC.”

Since making the jump to Division I, Little Rock’s athletic programs have 50 conference championships, including a combined 21 for men’s and women’s basketball, with 40 NCAA postseason appearances by Trojan athletic programs. Additionally, the department boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.31 through the spring 2021 semester.

The Trojans have had 11 Academic All-Americans since 2000 with six Trojan athletic programs receiving academic recognition by its respective governing organizations in 2020-21.

“In accepting the Ohio Valley Conference invitation, we begin a new and exciting chapter for UA Little Rock and Trojan Athletics that better aligns our sports portfolio with available conference resources and reaffirms our commitment to athletic and academic excellence,” says UA Little Rock Chancellor Dr. Christy Drale.

“I am very excited about our opportunity to join the Ohio Valley Conference as we look ahead to the future of Little Rock Athletics,” adds Director of Athletics George Lee. “In doing our research of the Ohio Valley Conference, the history and tradition of the league made it an enticing new conference home for our Trojan athletic programs as we look forward to adding our mark to the history of the OVC.”

This announcement comes a few months after the OVC and Southland Conference announced a football scheduling partnership, which is set to start in the 2022 season.

Steven Boero
Latest posts by Steven Boero (see all)