Oklahoma City – The Sooner Athletic Conference, the NAIA conference leader in national championships by member institutions, officially welcomes its 13th and newest member today, July 1, 2024.
 
SAC Commissioner John Martin announced last year that the College of the Ozarks (Mo.) would join the conference effective today after the SAC Council unanimously approved the move of Presidents. The Bobcats will begin play as full league members this fall.
 
"We are pleased to welcome President Brad Johnson and the entire College of the Ozarks community into the Sooner Athletic Conference," Martin said. "C of O has been a leading institution in our region for many years, and our conference will benefit greatly from this partnership."
 
College of the Ozarks is located in Point Lookout, Mo., and was recently readmitted to the NAIA after a brief separation from 2021-2023. College of the Ozarks is a former Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference member, which dissolved in 2015, and most recently competed in the Continental Athletic Conference. College of the Ozarks currently fields women's volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and men’s and women’s track and field.
 
The addition of the College of the Ozarks’ baseball program will increase the league to 10 teams, allowing the Sooner Athletic two automatic berths into the NAIA Baseball Championships annually.
 
"College of the Ozarks is honored to join the highly regarded Sooner Athletic Conference," said Dr. Brad Johnson, president at College of the Ozarks.
 
"The College, and specifically our athletic program, looks forward to this opportunity to engage in a high level of competition while continuing to develop the character and values of our student-athletes.  We are grateful to Dr. Bobby Hall, the SAC Council of Presidents, the Directors of Athletics, and SAC Commissioner John Martin for their support and warm welcome," Johnson added.
 
C of O’s addition expands the SAC geographic footprint to five states: Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and now, Missouri.