SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University Vice President Athletics and Recreation Bill Smith announced that Bryant women's tennis, men's golf and women's golf will be joining the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) as an associate member, effective immediately.

The Bulldogs have competed as an associate member in all three sports in the Southland Conference the last two seasons.

The addition of Bulldogs gives the OVC 11 men's golf playing institutions: Bryant, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, SIUE, Southern Indiana, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, UT Martin and Western Illinois.

There will now be nine OVC women's golf schools: Bryant, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, Southern Indiana, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and Western Illinois.
For the sport of women's tennis there are now eight playing institutions: Bryant, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri, SIUE, Southern Indiana, Tennessee State and Western Illinois.

"I am incredibly grateful to Commissioner Beth DeBauche and the entire administrative staff at the OVC for providing our women's tennis, men's golf and women's golf programs a home for the upcoming 2024-25 season," Smith said. "I also want to thank the Southland Conference for providing our student-athletes a home for the last two seasons. We are now looking forward to being a proud member of the Ohio Valley Conference."

Bryant women's tennis has won two conference titles in DI program history. The Bulldogs won Northeast Conference Championships in 2015 and most recently in 2022.

Bryant men's golf has appeared in 33 NCAA Tournaments and has won a pair of conference titles (2014, 2017) at the Division I level.

Bryant women's golf will begin its third varsity season, and second under head coach Angel MacLeod, this fall.

"We are delighted to have Bryant University join the OVC in men's golf, women's golf and women's tennis," said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. "The OVC has long been committed to sponsoring these sports and appreciates the opportunity to create additional partnerships to strengthen them."

"We are very proud of our men's golf, women's golf and women's tennis programs and happy to have OVC as our conference home for these Bulldog teams," said Bryant University President, Ross Gittell, Ph.D.

The 2025 OVC Men's Golf Championship will be held April 20-23 at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It marks the third time the championship has been at the course (and first since 2023).

The 2025 OVC Women's Golf Championship will be held April 13-15 on the Fighting Joe Course at RTJ at the Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The event has been played in the course four previous times.

The 2025 OVC Women's Tennis Championship will be held April 18-20 at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It marks the second year in a row the event has been conducted at the facility.