Conferences: Samford University has accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference, which will expand the league's membership to 11 for the first time in the conference's 53-year history. Samford will join the Ohio Valley no later than June 1, 2003. The Bulldogs have been members of the Trans America Athletic Conference since 1978 in all sports except football, where they have competed as an independent at the Division I-AA level since 1988. It will be the first time in Samford's 160-year history that all 17 men's and women's sports will be members of the same league. "With the recent decision of Jacksonville State University to become a member, this gives our conference great exposure in Alabama and two fine institutions to assist us in building on our 53 years of excellence," said Ohio Valley Commissioner Dan Beebe. "Our members have a tremendous amount of respect for Samford and look forward to embarking on this relationship." Samford will be the first private institution in the Ohio Valley. "The Ohio Valley is a respected, highly competitive conference, but our coaches and teams feel up to the challenge of competing in all sports," said Samford President Thomas E. Corts. "Even though we will be the only private, independent institution in the conference, we believe the OVC will be a good place for an institution with our academic and athletics values." Current league members include Austin Peay State University, Eastern Illinois University, Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Southeast Missouri State University, the University of Tennessee at Martin, Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University.

Sports sponsorship: The Big South Conference has announced that football will become its 18th championship sport in 2002. The league will play at the Division I-AA level, and each school will be able to fund its program under those guidelines. The three current members of the league to start in 2002 are Charleston Southern University, Elon College and Liberty University. Coastal Carolina University will become the fourth member in 2003. The conference also is pursuing other full or associate members to bring the total up to the minimum of six required for an automatic bid to the Division I-AA Football Championship.