OVC schools apparently had concerns about whether NKU's lack of a football program - which loses significant dollars at nearly all colleges - and the new Bank of Kentucky Center would give it too big an advantage over other OVC schools.
Votruba said NKU has gotten "a great deal of interest" from both the Atlantic Sun and Summit League conferences. Travel will be a concern, but NKU teams already travel as far away as Missouri in the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference.
NKU said it will continue discussions with the Atlantic Sun and Summit League conferences, which already had approached it about joining.
NKU has been talking with the OVC for months and hosted a visit on its Highland Heights campus earlier this fall.
It remains confident about getting an invitation this year and starting Division I competition in the fall of 2012.
A consultant last year recommended that NKU talk to the Horizon League, the OVC, the Atlantic Sun and the Summit League about membership.
The Horizon, which includes Butler University in Indianapolis, has said it is not interested in expanding now.
The Summit League includes Oakland, Oral Roberts, IUPUI and Fort Wayne. Its current members average about 12,300 total students, about 3,000 less than NKU's current enrollment.