If the University of North Alabama is going to move to NCAA Division I, it won’t be as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Lions were informed Wednesday the OVC is no longer pursuing expansion at this time. That decision leaves UNA in a lurch because it cannot make a move without an invitation in hand from a Division I conference.

Those options now seem limited. Part of the appeal of the OVC, based in Nashville, was its geographical location to the Shoals.

Other possibilities include the Southern Conference and the Southland Conference, but neither has expressed an interest to expand and neither have the geographic appeal of the OVC.

UNA President William G. Cale, in a release, called the news “disappointing."

“This is very disappointing news for me personally, for UNA and for all of those who have worked diligently in support of the transition,” Cale said in the release. “However, we do look forward to continuing our progress and working with our board of trustees to plan our next steps.”

Efforts to reach President Pro Tem Steve Pierce and athletic director Mark Linder were unsuccessful.

The university’s board of trustees voted June 13 to seek a move to Division I from its current NCAA home in Division II. The Lions have been a member of the Gulf South Conference since its inception in 1970.

After the board voted to pursue Division I membership, a massive fundraising effort began and UNA sought membership in the OVC, of which former GSC rival Jacksonville State is a member.

GSC Commissioner Nate Salant was caught by surprise when told of the news.

"I am speechless,” he said. “I knew the OVC was meeting and I expected to hear something. I was not certain of what the outcome would be.”

Salant said he wants UNA to stay in the GSC.

“We value UNA,” he said. “It is one of our flagship programs. We want UNA to help us as we continue to repopulate the conference with high quality institutions. I hope we can provide them with a great place to play and high quality of football, basketball and all sports across the board.”

Within the past month, the OVC requested further information from UNA. Athletic director Mark Linder said last week he had complied with that request.

The OVC’s decision not to expand was made after two days of meetings. Northern Kentucky University also expressed a desire to join the OVC.

The conference added Belmont in May for the 2012-13 season. Belmont was the first school added by the OVC since 2008 when Southern Illinois-Edwardsville joined.

The OVC released a statement Wednesday night: "Although it remains our policy not to specifically discuss schools that are not a member of our conference, the OVC Board of Presidents have discussed potential institutions, and even had campus visits, but have not extended any invitations for membership at this time and do not expect to in the near future.

"This is not a reflection on the quality of those institutions, but more that the OVC Board of Presidents believes the league is stable at 12 institutions, when you count the addition of Belmont University beginning next year."

Gregg Dewalt can be reached at 256-740-5748 or gregg.dewalt@TimesDaily.com. Jeff McIntyre can be reached at 256-740-5737 or jeff.myintyre@TimesDaily.com.