HCU has accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference as a men's soccer affiliate member beginning in the Fall of 2023.
The Ohio Valley becomes the 24th Division 1 conference to sponsor men's soccer, and will receive an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship.
An affiliate member of the Western Athletic Conference for the past ten years, HCU will be joined by former WAC member Incarnate Word in joining the OVC.
"We are very excited for the opportunity to be an affiliate member of the OVC! We look forward to competing in this newly formed conference," said HCU Head Coach Ryan Pratt.
There are four OVC institutions that currently field men's soccer teams: Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, SIUE and Southern Indiana.Â
In addition to HCU and UIW, Chicago State and Liberty have also accepted invitations to join the OVC as affiliate members, bringing the total number of schools in the league to eight.
"Today is an exciting day for the HCU men's soccer program as we announce a move to the Ohio Valley Conference as an affiliate member," stated Athletic Director Steve Moniaci. "We certainly want to thank the WAC for a great 10 years of partnership as we make this shift to what we believe is a terrific opportunity with the OVC."
The Huskies finished the 2022 season with a 5-8-6 overall mark. The full 2023 schedule, including the conference slate, will be released at a later date.
