BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – SIUE men's soccer will become a charter member of the Ohio Valley Conference for the 2023 season as the conference adds men's soccer as a championship sport.
Men's soccer becomes the 19th OVC-sponsored sport and will include four full OVC members in Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood and Southern Indiana in addition to SIUE. Four affiliates: Chicago State, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word and Liberty, will fill out the eight-team league.
"We are thrilled that the OVC is starting men's soccer and we can now represent SIUE in our natural conference," SIUE Head Coach Cale Wassermann said. "We are thankful for our time in the Mid-American and Missouri Valley as an affiliate, but it is awesome to be able to represent our university, community, and program with the rest of our sports. There will be some great local rivalries developing as well as some fun travel to compete with a few of the affiliate members."
The Ohio Valley Conference becomes the 24th NCAA Division I men's soccer conference and will receive an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship.
"I am thankful for all work that has been done behind the scenes from our Interim Athletic Director, Derrick Brown, as I know how much time and energy went into making this happen," Wassermann continued. "I'm looking forward to getting started this fall."
