The Lindenwood Lions and Lady Lions are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Lindenwood University, located in St. Charles, Missouri, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Ohio Valley Conference for most of its sports since the 2022–23 academic year.
Prior joining to NCAA Division I, the Lions previously competed in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) from 2019–20 to 2021–22; in the D-II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) from 2013–14 to 2018–19; and as an NCAA D-II Independent during its provisional season in the 2011–12 school year.
Prior joining to NCAA Division II, Lindenwood was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competed within the Heart of America Conference (HAAC) as its primary conference from 1996–97 to 2010–11, in addition to other athletic organizations for sports not sponsored by the HAAC; as well as in the American Midwest Conference from 1993–94 to 1995–96.
In 2023, the university discontinued 10 athletic teams.
History
Early history Modern intercollegiate athletics at Lindenwood trace roots back to intracollegiate sports, gym classes, and recreational activities associated with the development of modern sports during the late 1800s and early 1900s in the United States. Lindenwood added obligatory physical education classes to its curriculum in the 1890s. In 1905, the school's first athletic association was created to oversee sport and recreational activities on campus. The athletic association sponsored popular sports and activities of the time period such as tennis, bowling, fencing, basketball, and walking clubs. In the late 1940s Lindenwood's athletic teams began regular intercollegiate competition, sponsoring women's basketball, field hockey, and equestrian.
NAIA era After becoming a coeducational college in 1969, Lindenwood's modern athletic department formed. Baseball, basketball, and soccer became the college's first three men's sports in 1970; and Lindenwood became a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). After the athletic programs became established Lindenwood's first athletic accomplishments came after more than a decade in the NAIA when the women's soccer team reached the 1986 NAIA Women's Soccer Championship. The program made 13 NAIA tournament appearances during the late 1980s through the 1990s; the run included three third-place finishes and second-place finishes. The 2000 national championship saw Lindenwood lose 1–0 to Simon Fraser in five overtimes, after 162 minutes of play in one of the longest college soccer championship matches. The university continued to expand athletics in the 1980s and by 1989 Lindenwood sponsored all 21 NAIA championship-sponsored sports.
In the 1990s the university expanded athletic programs and added and upgraded facilities. Lindenwood joined its first conference in 1993 when the university became a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC). Three years later, Lindenwood joined the Heart of America Conference (HAAC). From 1999 to 2010 the university continued to expanded athletic offerings and added 25 new sports that grew the athletic department to over 45 varsity sports teams, making LU one of the largest athletic departments in the United States in terms of sports offered. Lindenwood University has been competing in NAIA athletics for nearly 40 years but has begun the application process for NCAA Division II membership. Lindenwood officially concluded its NAIA and HAAC membership at the conclusion of the 2010–11 academic year. During the university's 15 seasons a member of the HAAC the Lions set a conference record, winning 128 HAAC titles. Lindenwood averaged 8.5 conference titles a year and won at least one conference championship in sport sponsored by the conference.
Move to NCAA As Lindenwood continued to upgrade and/or replace many of its sports facilities and add new programs, and have teams consistently ranked in the top of the NAIA and other respective sport organizations for non-NAIA sports, the interest in Lindenwood transitioning to the NCAA grew. In the early 2000s, the university explored options for at least a partial transition for several non-NAIA sports. On February 12, 2009, the Lindenwood University board of directors authorized the administration to begin the application process for NCAA Division II membership. For two years, Lindenwood would remain a member of the NAIA and Heart of America Athletic Conference. In 2012–2013, the school would be a provisional member of the NCAA. The fourth year, 2013–2014, the NCAA would vote to make Lindenwood an active member.
On July 12, 2010, Lindenwood was accepted into NCAA Division II. Plans included moving all 21 sports that competed in NAIA to move to NCAA Division II along with the non-NAIA sports of field hockey, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse. Women's ice hockey and men's volleyball were selected by the university to compete in NCAA Division I, and all other sports would remain in their non-NCAA and non-NAIA sport organizations. With expectation of NCAA approval in June 2010 LU applied to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Lindenwood was approved for membership into the MIAA on September 24, 2010, with the affiliation taking place in 2012–2013 school year for all 17 MIAA-sponsored sports. In addition men's volleyball joined the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). In June 2011, the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (WILA) announced the addition of Lindenwood for men's and women's lacrosse. Lindenwood was admitted into the conference on November 11, 2011, and began conference play starting in the 2012–13 season. In July 2011, the university announced the addition of women's gymnastics as the 27th NCAA athletic program. The university successfully completed the transition process in 2013 and begins active membership status in the NCAA in the 2013–14 academic year.
Effective July 1, 2019, Lindenwood became a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference after seven years with the MIAA. On February 23, 2022, at a press conference at Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena, it was announced that Lindenwood University would move to NCAA Division I Athletics and join the Ohio Valley Conference."Lindenwood is stepping up to Division I, will join Ohio Valley Conference" St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2022-02-24. In early December 2023, the school announced that it would be cutting nine of its NCAA programs: men's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's tennis, men's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's wrestling, women's field hockey and women's gymnastics.
Sports sponsored Men's sports Women's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Beach volleyball Cross country Cross country Football Golf Golf Ice hockey Ice hockey Lacrosse Rugby Rugby Soccer Soccer Volleyball Softball Tennis Track and field Volleyball Wrestling
Lindenwood University sponsors 14 men's and 16 women's intercollegiate athletic programs in NCAA-sanctioned sports. Most sports compete in the Ohio Valley Conference. The men's and women's lacrosse teams play in the Atlantic Sun Conference, while both swimming & diving teams compete in the Summit League. Men's soccer also competed in the Summit League before the OVC launched a men's soccer league in the 2023 season. Shortly after Lindenwood joined the OVC, that conference announced it was merging its men's tennis league into the Horizon League effective with the 2022–23 season, with all OVC men's tennis schools, including Lindenwood, becoming Horizon associate members. None of the teams that compete in these conferences, except for the beach volleyball team, will be eligible for NCAA championship events until Lindenwood completes its Division I transition in 2026–27. The field hockey and men's wrestling teams, which compete as D-I independents for the time being, are also subject to this restriction.
Teams in sports that do not have separate Division II championships remain eligible for NCAA championships during the transition. Beach volleyball and women's gymnastics each have a single NCAA championship event open to members of all three divisions. Beach volleyball, newly added for 2022–23, competes in the OVC and gymnastics in the Midwest Independent Conference. Men's and women's ice hockey and men's volleyball all have championship events open to both D-I and D-II members. Men's ice hockey, added as a varsity sport in 2022–23, competes as an independent; women's ice hockey is a member of Atlantic Hockey America, and men's volleyball competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Women's wrestling, currently recognized by the NCAA as part of its Emerging Sports for Women program but without an NCAA championship event, competes as an independent.
In December 2023, the university discontinued nine NCAA athletic teams and 10 in all.
Basketball
Men's basketball
Lindenwood hired Lance Randall in the summer of the 2015 to lead the men's basketball program. Randall previously coached at St. Leo. In his first season at the helm of the Lions, the team went 16–14 which included the program's first MIAA tournament win at Pittsburg State.
The previous head coach of the men's basketball program was Brad Soderberg, former Division I head coach at Saint Louis and Wisconsin, who left after the 2014–15 season to become an assistant at Virginia. He was hired in 2009 and joined the Lions for the 2009–10 season. Under Soderberg, the Lions compiled an overall record of 23–10, going 13–7 in the HAAC. The season was the most wins since the 2005–06 season when the Lions won the HAAC Tournament. Soderberg's 2009–10 team set a new school record for most home wins with a home record of 13–1. On January 6, 2011, the Lions set a new school record for most straight wins after defeating Missouri Valley 77–66 for the team's 12th straight win. The Lions finished the regular season 26–4 and earned an automatic bid to the 2011 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament as well as won the 2011 HAAC Regular Season Title. The 26 wins set a new best record in school history. The team played an independent schedule of NCAA DII and NAIA teams during the 2011–12 season and finished the regular season with a record of 26–3, tying the school record for wins set the season prior. The season was highlighted by a 13-game win streak from November 19, 2011, until it was broken in overtime by Central State on January 14, 2012. The season saw the Lions set a new team scoring record on December 14, 2012, in a 136–57 win over Concordia (MO). Lindenwood averaged 85.97 points during the season and was held below the 80 point mark nine times, while scoring over 100 points three times. Lindenwood ended the 2011–12 season winning the 2012 NCAA Transitional Tournament championship, which involved teams transitioning to the NCAA Division II that were ineligible for mainstream NCAA postseason play. In the opening game, LU defeated Minot State 65–54, before they defeated the University of Sioux Falls 85–75. On May 11, 2015, it was announced that Lance Randall of St. Leo University had been hired to replace Soderberg.
Women's basketball The current head coach of the women's basketball program is Tony Francis, formerly assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Saint Louis for eight seasons. He was hired in April 2010, in his first season with the Lady Lions he led the team to a 21–10 overall record, 15–5 in the HAAC. The Lady Lions finished the season with a 72–81 loss to Avila in the HAAC Tournament semifinal round.
Women's field hockey