The future of what conference UNA athletics will be playing in Division I is still unknown, but discussions should heat up this month.

UNA officials have been waiting on a decision from the Ohio Valley Conference on whether or not it is interested in adding UNA to its league, but as of now there is still no word from the league.

“I have had very limited contact with the OVC,” said Athletic Director Mark Linder.

According to Linder, the OVC visited the University of Northern Kentucky Sept. 28 to view their campus much like they did UNA earlier this year.

Linder also stated that the presidents of the OVC are scheduled to meet later in October or early November to discuss their plans for expansion.

According to officials, UNA’s primary conference target is the OVC because the geographic locations of the teams are all within a three-and-a-half hour radius from the Shoals area.

Compared to the conference UNA is currently in, there are only three schools located in that radius.

Joining the conference will also bring back some of the rivalries UNA used to have in the past, such as Jacksonville State and Tennessee Martin.

“Being a fan of UNA since the ‘80s, it would be great to bring back those heated rivalries we used to have during that time,” said Florence native and UNA alum Roger Rinner. “It would also be great to travel to those games when played away because now they are just too far to drive.”

If UNA is not chosen by the OVC, the next choice of home would be the Southern Conference, which has teams from Tennessee and the Carolinas, including Samford and Tennessee-Chattanooga, but the geographic location is more spread out than the OVC.

“I think that conference would be good to go into if we don’t get into the OVC, but we would have to travel a lot more to games and might have to build new rivalries,” Rinner said.

With the conference outlook remaining undecided, the next few months should give a better idea of who is willing to bring UNA into their league.