Lindenwood University announced Wednesday that it will reclassify to Division I and has accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference and will become an official member on July 1, though where its lacrosse teams will play is still up in the air.

No members of the Ohio Valley Conference offer men’s or women’s lacrosse, meaning Lindenwood will need to find a conference or play as an independent. Located in St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood helps to bolster lacrosse’s Division I footprint in the Midwest.

Lindenwood became a full NCAA Division II member during the 2013-14 school year.

In 2021, the Lindenwood women’s lacrosse team won its first national championship and became just the second team in the 20-year history of the Division II women’s championship from outside of New York, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania to hoist the champion’s trophy. Through two updates to the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Top 20 in 2022, Lindenwood has stood firm at No. 1.

The Lions are set to host the 2022 NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse national championship in May.

The Lindenwood men’s lacrosse team rose from No. 12 to No. 10 in this week’s update to the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Men’s Top 20. The Lions lost in the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship game last spring.