EKU to leave the OVC for the Atlantic Sun Conference

Eastern Kentucky University is packing up its athletics and leaving the Ohio Valley Conference where the Colonels were one of the founding institutions back in 1948.

One of the original three still remaining in the OVC today with Murray State and Morehead State, EKU is expected to join the Atlantic Sun Conference at the conclusion of the spring sports calendar with an A-Sun start date of July 1, 2021.  This is confirmed by a page on the EKUSports.com website that has since been deleted.

With the Atlantic Sun’s addition of EKU plus Central Arkansas and Jacksonville State this summer, the conference will add scholarship football to its list of sports, but current members aren’t required to add football or change their current football standing. For example, Liberty University competes in the Atlantic Sun but is an FBS independent program in football and that will not change.

The full list of the new 12-member Atlantic Sun coming this July, which includes Bellarmine in Louisville:

Bellarmine University
University of Central Arkansas
Eastern Kentucky University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville State University
Kennesaw State University
Liberty University
Lipscomb University
University of North Alabama
University of North Florida
Stetson University

Good luck to the Colonels on the big move.