On Wednesday morning, Lindenwood University officially announced that it would be transitioning all athletic programs over to NCAA Division 1. The Lions will officially become members of the Ohio Valley Conference starting fall of 2022.
Lindenwood is currently an NCAA Division 2 school located in St Charles, Missouri. The Lions became an NCAA Division 2 member during the 2013-2014 school year. Lindenwood currently supports 29 sports at the NCAA level, which is one of the largest athletic departments in the country. Lindenwood is set to begin its reclassification process to the NCAA Division I level during the 2022-23 academic year.
The Ohio Valley Conference was founded in 1948 and is in its seventh decade of competition, making it the eighth-oldest Division I athletic conference.
“Lindenwood is thrilled to join the Ohio Valley Conference as we apply to transition to NCAA Division I. This opportunity will elevate our entire university and provide championship-level experiences our student athletes deserve.”
-Lindenwood President, Dr. John Porter
Lindenwood lacrosse as a whole has had a very successful run over the past couple years. The women’s lacrosse program went all the way in 2021 winning the NCAA Division 2 National Championship. Since transitioning over to NCAA D2, the men’s program has accumulated a record of 71-36. The Lions are set to host the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse National Championship in May.
There is no information yet on what conference both of the Lindenwood lacrosse programs will play in, as the Ohio Valley Conference does not currently support other lacrosse programs.
“Over the last 10 years at the NCAA Division II level, we were fortunate to find great success on and off the field of play. We are now prepared more than ever to make the transition to the highest level of college sports.
-Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Brad Wachler
