Ohio Valley University to Close at the End of the Fall 2021 Semester

Ohio Valley University announced on December 8, 2021 that it will suspend operations at the end of the 2021 fall semester. All participation in sports declared by Ohio Valley University for the winter and spring seasons has been terminated.

Effective immediately, NAIA coaches may contact Ohio Valley’s student-athletes to initiate a conversation about transferring.

No special provisions for seasons of competition or terms of attendance apply in this situation. Student-athletes who participated in the fall sports season will be charged a season of competition if they compete in more than 20% of the season, per the new Seasons of Competition bylaw. For any winter or spring sports that may have already begun competition, as long as the sport has completed less than half its regular schedule, student-athletes will not be charged a season of competition.

Ohio Valleys student-athletes are free to transfer without having to sit out the required 16-week residency period if they identify at their next NAIA institution by December 2022. These students must meet all other eligibility requirements in order to be able to compete.

The River States Conference has waived its standard inter-conference transfer regulations for student-athletes who transfer within the conference, meaning there are no transfer restrictions for Ohio Valley students who transfer to another River States school. Please contact River States Conference Commissioner Michael Schell, if you have further questions.