University of Southern Indiana intends to join Ohio Valley Conference in Division I
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — The University of Southern Indiana has accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference as its Division I partner.
The partnership will allow the school to move forward with its reclassification in the NCAA ahead of the June 1 deadline, the school said Wednesday. Upon acceptance, the transition process will take four years to complete.
USI would begin competing in the Ohio Valley Conference at the start of the 2022-23 academic year and would leave the Great Lakes Valley Conference at the end of this academic year. Although USI may be eligible for conference championships during the transition period, it would not be eligible for NCAA championships.
“This is an important day for USI and for our athletic programs,” Ronald S. Rochon, USI President, said Wednesday. “We are honored to have been invited and to accept an invitation from the Ohio Valley Conference as we transition to Division I athletics—the highest level of athletic play. The OVC has an impressive record of stability and success, and they will be a strong partner for us as we make this logical step of growth and expansion and as we work to meet our strategic plan goal of elevating the visibility and reputation of this great institution. This is not only a great opportunity for USI but also for this community and state.”
USI joins OVC member institutions University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Eastern Illinois University, Morehead State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin. USI is only the 23rd full-time member in the 74-year history of the Ohio Valley Conference.
“We are delighted the University of Southern Indiana will become the newest member of the Ohio Valley Conference,” Beth DeBauche, OVC Commissioner, said. “Given USI’s history of athletic success, including its national championships, its commitment to student-athlete academic achievement and its visionary leadership, we are confident they will be a tremendous addition to our conference. We are excited to add another exemplary member and start the next chapter in our rich conference history.”
USI is a founding member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and began competing in 1979 with a substantial history of athletic success including 188 NCAA Tournament appearances and 231 athletes earning All-American honors. USI has 10 NCAA II individual National Championships in Cross Country and Track & Field, and 16 NCAA II Regional Championships in Baseball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Cross Country, Women’s Cross Country and Softball.
“We are excited to begin competing at the Division I level, and the Ohio Valley Conference will be an excellent fit for us as we embark on that journey,” USI Athletic Director, Jon Mark Hall, said. Mark Hall, USI Athletic Director. “As a founding member, we are grateful for the partnership and success we have had in the GLVC and look forward to competing at that level for the remainder of this year. Our strong record of GLVC and Division II success has prepared us for this move. Today, we look to a new era of competitiveness for our athletic programs and dare to strive for success at the highest level of play.”
In 2018, USI won the NCAA II Softball National Championship, becoming the first softball team in Indiana to win a NCAA championship. In 2010, USI was the first GLVC member and university in the state of Indiana to win a national championship in baseball, repeating in 2014 to become the first NCAA II program to win multiple team titles. Men’s Basketball won the NCAA II National Championship in 1995.
USI boasts a strong academic record as well with 228 Academic All-GLVC athletes in 2021-22 and 35 Academic All-America honors. Student athletes maintain an average GPA of 3.29 and are retained at a high percentage.
“Our academic core values and goals will remain the same throughout this transition and as we look to the future,” Hall said. “Academic integrity has always been, and will continue to be, one of our highest priorities.”