Belmont is joining the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1 as the league’s 11th member after nine years in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Greg Jones, Belmont president, announced the decision Tuesday. He called it time for Belmont to take another step and help the university raise its game in all sports.

Also on Tuesday, the Texas-based Southland Conference, which had five football teams depart its FCS league earlier this year, announced the addition of Texas A&M-Commerce. The 2017 NCAA Division II national champion Lions will officially join next July 1 to begin a four-year transition to Division I.