Ohio Valley Conference
{{short description|US college athletic conference}}
{{Infobox sports league
| name = Ohio Valley Conference
| color = #9C243F; {{box-shadow border|a|#D0A675|2px}}
| font_color = #FFFFFF
| logo = Ohio Valley Conference logo.svg
| logo_size = 200
| founded = {{start date and age|1948}}
| association = NCAA
| division = Division I
| subdivision = FCS
| teams = 11
| sports = 20
| mens = 9
| womens = 10
| coed = 1
| headquarters = Brentwood, Tennessee
| commissioner = Beth DeBauche
| since = 2009
| website = {{URL|https://ovcsports.com/|ovcsports.com}}
| map = Ohio Valley Conference Map.svg
| map_size = 250
}}
{{OSM Location map
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| title = Ohio Valley Conference
| caption = Location of member schools:10px full
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The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in partnership with the Big South Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS; formerly known as Division I-AA), the lower of two levels of Division I football competition. The OVC has 11 members, seven of which compete in football in the conference.
History
The Ohio Valley Conference can trace its roots to 1941 when Murray State athletic director Roy Stewart, Eastern Kentucky athletic director Charles "Turkey" Hughes, and Western Kentucky public relations director Kelly Thompson first formulated the idea of establishing a regional athletics conference. The plan was put on hold due to World War II, but it was resurrected after the conclusion of the war. In 1948, the three schools joined with Louisville, Morehead State, and Evansville to form the Ohio Valley Conference. While many collegiate conferences are struggling today with the question of whether their policies and rules should be determined by the athletic departments or by the institutional heads, from the very beginning, the OVC has been run by the presidents of its member schools.
Historically, the OVC was a pioneer in racial desegregation, with Morehead State signing the conference's first Black athlete, Marshall Banks, in 1958. The rest of the OVC soon followed in Morehead State's wake. From 1986 to 2018, the OVC was unique among NCAA Division I conferences in that it included one historically Black university, Tennessee State University, in a conference that otherwise consists of institutions that are not traditionally Black. During this period, every other HBCU in NCAA Division I belonged to either the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference or Southwestern Athletic Conference. That distinction changed when both Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University joined the Big South Conference in 2018 and 2021, respectively; both schools have since joined the Coastal Athletic Association.
The OVC has also been a leader in advancement of sports opportunities for women. The conference began adding championship competitions for women in 1977 several years after the AIAW began sponsoring national championships for women, but seven years before the NCAA was ready to move into the field. Since 2009, the OVC has been led by Commissioner Beth DeBauche, one of only six female commissioners for the thirty-two Division I conferences.{{cite web |url=http://ovcsports.sidearmsports.com/staff.aspx?staff=1 |title=Staff Directory |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference/Sidearm Sports |date=July 29, 2009 |access-date=September 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930173930/http://ovcsports.sidearmsports.com/staff.aspx?staff=1 |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |url-status=dead }}
Athletic rivalries, really close colleges and especially when competitors are in relatively close proximity, can generate problems with fan behavior, and the conference leadership struggled with controlling the issue for many years. When the national debate on the problem reached its apex in the mid-1990s, the OVC unveiled the national first of its kind "Sportsmanship Statement" in 1995, stating the conference's policy on, "... principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's opponent." Since then, the OVC has also introduced individual, team (for each sport), and institutional sportsmanship awards.
Founded by six schools, the expansions of 2007 and 2011 brought the Ohio Valley Conference membership to twelve schools, the most in its history. The OVC dropped to 10 members after the 2020–21 school year, when founding member Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State left for the Atlantic Sun Conference (then branded as the ASUN Conference; "ASUN" is still the official abbreviation).{{cite press release|url=https://asunsports.org/general/2020-21/releases/20210126nthmsg |title=ASUN Conference Announces Three New Institutions; Adds Football as 20th Sport |publisher=ASUN Conference |date=January 29, 2021 |access-date=January 29, 2021}} At that time, the OVC was searching for teams to replace both.{{cite web|last=Verdun|first=Dan|date=February 5, 2021|title=With two members leaving, the Ohio Valley Conference searches for answers|url=https://www.chicagonow.com/prairie-state-pigskin/2021/02/with-two-members-leaving-the-ohio-valley-conference-searches-for-answers/|website=ChicagoNow}}
The OVC lost three more members after the 2021–22 school year. Football-sponsoring Austin Peay left for the ASUN, which ultimately launched its own football league in 2022.{{Cite press release|date=September 17, 2021|title=ASUN Conference Welcomes Austin Peay State University as its Newest Member|url=https://www.asunsports.org/general/2021-22/releases/20210916gkbm0v|publisher=ASUN Conference|language=en}} Non-football Belmont left for the Missouri Valley Conference.{{Cite web|last=Organ|first=Mike|title=Belmont leaving the Ohio Valley Conference, according to report|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2021/09/26/belmont-leaving-ohio-valley-conference-according-report-missouri-valley/5849404001/|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=The Tennessean|language=en-US}} Another football school, founding member Murray State, left for the MVC. When announcing its move to the MVC, Murray State announced that it was seeking membership in the football-only Missouri Valley Football Conference, and also announced that it would continue to house its rifle team in the OVC.{{cite press release|url=https://goracers.com/news/2022/1/6/general-murray-state-racers-jan-7.aspx |title=Murray State University Joins The Missouri Valley Conference |publisher=Murray State Racers |date=January 7, 2022 |accessdate=January 7, 2022}} In a separate statement, Murray State's president indicated that the football team would remain in the OVC in the 2022 season, ensuring that the OVC would retain its automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in that season and giving the league more time to add new football members.{{cite news|url=https://www.murrayledger.com/news/local/murray-state-accepts-mvc-invitation/article_a39e8528-71ab-11ec-9869-c3dcb945c1a2.html |title=Murray State accepts MVC invitation |first=John |last=Wright |newspaper=Murray Ledger & Times |location=Murray, KY |date=January 10, 2022 |accessdate=January 11, 2022}} Murray State would eventually be accepted by the MVFC effective in 2023.{{cite press release|url=https://valley-football.org/news/2022/4/3/murray-state-football-to-join-missouri-valley-football-conference-july-of-2023.aspx |title=Murray State Football To Join Missouri Valley Football Conference July of 2023 |publisher=Missouri Valley Football Conference |date=April 4, 2022 |accessdate=April 6, 2022}}
Also in July 2022, the OVC added two non-football members in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, athletically known as Little Rock,{{cite press release |url=http://ovcsports.com/news/2021/12/8/baseball-little-rock-receives-board-approval-to-join-ohio-valley-conference.aspx |title=Little Rock Receives Board Approval to Join Ohio Valley Conference |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=December 8, 2021 |access-date=December 8, 2021}} and the University of Southern Indiana, which started a transition from NCAA Division II,{{cite press release|url=http://ovcsports.com/news/2022/2/8/general-university-of-southern-indiana-to-join-the-ohio-valley-conference-in-2022-23.aspx |title=University of Southern Indiana to Join the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022-23 |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=February 9, 2022 |accessdate=February 9, 2022}} plus a new football-sponsoring member in Lindenwood University, also transitioning from D-II.{{cite press release|url=http://ovcsports.com/news/2022/2/22/general-lindenwood-university-to-join-the-ohio-valley-conference-in-2022-23.aspx |title=Lindenwood University to Join the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022-23 |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=February 23, 2022 |accessdate=February 23, 2022}}
According to a report from Matt Brown of the Extra Points college sports blog, the OVC expected to lose Murray State, and was considering multiple expansion candidates, with Southern Indiana among them. Other schools named by Brown's sources as possible candidates were FCS programs Arkansas–Pine Bluff and Western Illinois, plus potential Division II upgraders Grand Valley State, Hillsdale, and Lincoln Memorial.{{cite web|url=https://www.extrapointsmb.com/breaking-mvc-expected-to-add-murray-state-uic/ |title=MVC expected to add Murray State, likely to add more |first=Matt |last=Brown |website=Extra Points |date=January 5, 2022 |accessdate=January 7, 2022}}
On February 22, 2022, the conference announced its intent to combine its football membership with the Big South Conference beginning in 2023 and operate as the OVC–Big South Football Association. The alliance follows the model that the ASUN and Western Athletic Conference used in 2021 and 2022 before merging their football leagues in 2023 as the United Athletic Conference.{{cite press release|url=https://bigsouthsports.com/news/2022/2/22/big-south-and-ohio-valley-conference-announce-football-agreement.aspx |title=Big South and Ohio Valley Conference Announce Football Agreement |publisher=Big South Conference |date=February 22, 2022 |accessdate=February 22, 2022}}
Shortly after the 2022 membership changes took effect, the OVC and the Horizon League jointly announced that they would merge their men's tennis leagues under the Horizon banner, effective immediately. All five OVC members that sponsored men's tennis became Horizon affiliates in that sport.{{cite press release|url=https://horizonleague.org/news/2022/7/5/horizon-league-announces-innovative-partnership-with-ohio-valley-conference-and-mens-tennis-programs-adds-chicago-state-as-an-affiliate-member-for-mens-and-womens-tennis.aspx |title=Horizon League Announces Innovative Partnership with Ohio Valley Conference and Men's Tennis Programs, Adds Chicago State as an Affiliate Member for Men's and Women's Tennis |publisher=Horizon League |date=July 6, 2022 |access-date=July 9, 2022}}
On March 28, 2023, the OVC announced it was adding men's soccer as its 19th championship sport. The four OVC members sponsoring the sport in other conferences were joined by Chicago State University, Houston Christian University, University of the Incarnate Word, and Liberty University.{{cite press release|url=https://ovcsports.com/news/2023/3/27/ovc-adds-mens-soccer-as-championship-sport.aspx |title=OVC Adds Men's Soccer as Championship Sport |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=March 28, 2023 |access-date=March 28, 2023}} Chicago State was also announced as an incoming men's and women's golf associate on that day.{{cite press release|url=https://ovcsports.com/news/2023/3/28/chicago-state-to-join-ovc-as-affiliate-for-mens-womens-golf.aspx |title=Chicago State to Join OVC as Affiliate for Men's & Women's Golf |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=March 28, 2023 |access-date=April 10, 2023}} Chicago State's OVC teams left the conference at the end of the 2023–24 school year when the university joined the Northeast Conference, which sponsors all sports that CSU housed in the OVC.{{cite press release|url=https://northeastconference.org/news/2023/12/5/GEN_ChicagoSt_Membership_Announcement_23.aspx|title=Windy City Welcome: Chicago State Roars Into NEC|publisher=Northeast Conference|date=December 5, 2023|accessdate=December 5, 2023}}
On May 12, 2023, it was announced that Western Illinois University would join the OVC from the Summit League in most non-football sports beginning for the 2023 season. Western Illinois football, which was then a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, played the 2023 season in that league before joining the university's other sports in the OVC for the 2024 season.{{cite press release|url=http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=19258 |title=Leatherneck Athletics Moving to Ohio Valley Conference for All Sports |publisher=Western Illinois University |date=May 12, 2023 |access-date=May 12, 2023}} Western later announced its men's soccer team would also play the 2023 season in its former all-sports home of the Summit League before joining the OVC in 2024.{{cite press release|url=https://ovcsports.com/news/2023/6/21/general-western-illinois-officially-becomes-an-ovc-member.aspx |title=Western Illinois Officially Becomes an OVC Member |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=June 30, 2023 |access-date=July 11, 2023}}
OVC Digital Network
In August 2012, the OVC announced that it had launched the OVC Digital Network as a replacement for and improvement over the conference's former efforts to provide streaming video coverage of many athletic events that had been in place since 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.ovcsports.com/news/2012/8/20/BB_0820122244.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002001509/http://www.ovcsports.com/news/2012/8/20/BB_0820122244.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 2, 2015 |title=Ohio Valley Conference Launches OVC Digital Network |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=August 22, 2012 |access-date=September 29, 2015}} This website carried live, student-produced coverage of most conference games and some non-conference games in baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, soccer, softball, and volleyball as well as some coaches' shows, special presentations, and archived game-casts available for later viewing.
In its first two years, the network provided well over 600,000 viewings of streamed live video of more than 1,400 events.{{cite web |url=http://www.ovcsports.com/news/2014/7/29/GEN_0729142851.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002001509/http://www.ovcsports.com/news/2014/7/29/GEN_0729142851.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 2, 2015 |title=OVC Digital Network Ready For Year Three |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=August 21, 2014 |access-date=September 29, 2015}}
In the 2018–19 school year, the coverage previously carried on the OVC Digital Network was switched over to ESPN+.
Member schools
=Full members=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) | Nickname | class="unsortable"|Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{sort|Little Rock|University of Arkansas at Little Rock}}
| 1927 | 2022 | rowspan="2" | Public | 8,197 | $80 | Trojans | {{college color boxes|Little Rock Trojans}} | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois University
| 1895 | 1996 | 8,857 | $87.3 | Panthers | {{college color boxes|Eastern Illinois Panthers}} | ||||||||
| {{sort|Lindenwood University|Lindenwood University}}
| 1827 | 2022 | Private | 6,992 | $143.4 | Lions | {{college color boxes|Lindenwood Lions}} | ||||||||
| Morehead State University
| 1887 | 1948 | rowspan="8" | Public | 8,810 | $71 | Eagles | {{college color boxes|Morehead State Eagles}} | ||||||||
| Southeast Missouri State University
| 1873 | 1991 | 9,927 | $84.2 | Redhawks | {{college color boxes|Southeast Missouri State Redhawks}} | ||||||||
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
| 1957 | 2008 | 12,860 | $27.4 | Cougars | {{college color boxes|SIU Edwardsville Cougars}} | ||||||||
| {{sort|Southern Indiana|University of Southern Indiana}}
| 1965 | 2022 | $103 | {{college color boxes|Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles}} | ||||||||
| Tennessee State University
| 1912 | 1986{{efn|group=full|The Tennessee State men's basketball team joined the OVC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (1987–88); while its football team joined the OVC two years after (1988–89).}} | 9,218 | $91.1 | {{college color boxes|Tennessee State Tigers}} | ||||||||
| Tennessee Technological University
| 1915 | 1949 | 9,902 | $96.2 | {{college color boxes|Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles}} | ||||||||
| University of Tennessee at Martin
| 1927 | 1992 | 6,873 | $51 | Skyhawks | {{college color boxes|UT Martin Skyhawks}} | ||||||||
| Western Illinois University
| 1899 | 2023{{efn|group=full|The Western Illinois men's soccer team joined the OVC in 2024, a year after becoming a full member for other sports. The football team similarly did not join the OVC–Big South Football Association until 2024.}} | $63.6 | {{college color boxes|Western Illinois Leathernecks}} |
;Notes
{{notelist|group=full}}
{{notelist|group=WIU}}
=Affiliate members=
Years listed in this table are calendar years. For schools that play only spring sports (such as beach volleyball) in the OVC, the calendar year of arrival precedes the first season of competition.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution ! Location ! Founded ! Joined ! Type ! Enrollment ! Nickname ! class="unsortable" | Colors ! OVC ! Primary |
| rowspan=3 | Bryant University
| rowspan=3 | Smithfield, Rhode Island | rowspan=3 | 1863 | rowspan=3 | 2024 | rowspan=3 | Private | rowspan=3 | 3,751 | rowspan=3 | Bulldogs | rowspan=3 | {{college color boxes|Bryant Bulldogs}} | men's golf | rowspan=3 | America East |
| women's golf |
| women's tennis |
| Houston Christian University
| 1960 | 2023 | Private | 2,567 | Huskies | {{college color boxes|Houston Christian Huskies}} | rowspan=3 | men's soccer | rowspan=2 | Southland |
| University of the Incarnate Word
| 1881 | 2023 | Private | 9,366 | {{college color boxes|Incarnate Word Cardinals}} |
| bgcolor=#ffa0a0
| 1971 | 2023 | Private | 16,000{{efn|group=aff|Approximate on-campus enrollment. Including online students, Liberty claims an enrollment of over 130,000.}} | Flames | {{college color boxes|Liberty Flames}} | CUSA |
| Murray State University
| 1922 | 2022 | Public | 10,495 | Racers | {{college color boxes|Murray State Racers}} | rifle | MVC |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
| 1886 | 2020 | Public | 11,388 | Mocs | {{college color boxes|Chattanooga Mocs}} | beach volleyball | SoCon |
{{notelist|group=aff}}
=Future affiliate members=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution ! Location ! Founded ! Joining ! Type ! Enrollment ! Nickname ! class="unsortable" | Colors ! OVC ! Primary |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) | 2013{{efn|group=full|UTRGV was formally founded in 2013, but did not start instruction until 2015.}} | 2026 | Public | 32,419 | Vaqueros | {{college color boxes|UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros}} | men's soccer |
=Former full members=
| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| Institution
! Location ! Founded ! Joined ! Left ! Type ! Nickname ! class="unsortable|Colors ! Conference ! Current |
|---|
| {{sort|Akron|University of Akron}}
| 1870 | 1980 | 1987 | rowspan="2"|Public | Zips | {{college color boxes|Akron Zips}} | MAC |
| Austin Peay State University
| 1927 | 1962 | rowspan="2"| 2022 | {{college color boxes|Austin Peay Governors}} | colspan="2"| ASUN |
| Belmont University
| 1890 | 2012 | Private | Bruins | {{college color boxes|Belmont Bruins}} | colspan="2"| Missouri Valley |
| East Tennessee State University
| 1911 | 1958 | 1978 | rowspan="2"|Public | Buccaneers/ | {{college color boxes|East Tennessee State Buccaneers}} | colspan="2"| SoCon |
| Eastern Kentucky University
| 1906 | rowspan="2"|1948 | 2021 | Colonels | {{college color boxes|Eastern Kentucky Colonels}} | colspan="2"| ASUN |
| {{sort|Evansville|University of Evansville}}
| 1854 | 1952 | Private | {{college color boxes|Evansville Purple Aces}} | ICC |
| Jacksonville State University
| 1883 | 2003 | 2021 | rowspan="5"|Public | {{college color boxes|Jacksonville State Gamecocks}} | ASUN | CUSA |
| University of Louisville
| 1798 | 1948 | 1949 | {{college color boxes|Louisville Cardinals}} | ACC |
| Marshall University
| 1837 | 1949 | 1952 | {{college color boxes|Marshall Thundering Herd}} | NCAA Independent{{efn|group=former|Marshall left the OVC to become an Independent for one year prior to joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) effective with the 1953–54 school year.}} | Sun Belt |
| Middle Tennessee State University
| 1911 | 1952 | 2000 | {{college color boxes|Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders}} | Sun Belt | CUSA |
| Murray State University
| 1922 | 1948 | 2022 | Racers | {{college color boxes|Murray State Racers}} | colspan="2"|Missouri Valley |
| Samford University
| 1841 | 2003 | 2008 | Private | Bulldogs | {{college color boxes|Samford Bulldogs}} | colspan="2"| SoCon |
| Western Kentucky University{{efn|group=former|Western Kentucky rejoined the OVC for football only in the 1999 and 2000 football seasons (1999–2000 and 2000–01 school years).}}
| 1906 | 1948 | 1982 | rowspan="3"|Public | {{college color boxes|WKU Hilltoppers}} | Sun Belt | CUSA |
| rowspan="2"|Youngstown State University
| rowspan="2"|Youngstown, Ohio | rowspan="2"| 1908 | rowspan="2"| 1981 | rowspan="2"| 1988 | rowspan="2"| Penguins | rowspan="2"| {{college color boxes|Youngstown State Penguins}} | Horizon |
| NCAA I-AA Independent (football) | MVFC |
;Notes:
{{notelist|group=former}}
=Former affiliate members=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; width: 80%" |
| Institution
!Location !Founded !Joined !Left !Type !Nickname !class="unsortable"|Colors !Sport !Current !Current |
|---|
| Chicago State University
| 1867 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | Public | Cougars | {{college color boxes|Chicago State Cougars}} | men's soccer, | colspan="2" | NEC |
| Columbus State University
| 1958 | 2012–13 | 2014–15 | Public | Cougars | {{college color boxes|Columbus State Cougars}} | Rifle | Peach Belt | none{{efn|group=faff|Columbus State dropped rifle after the 2014–15 school year.}} |
| Murray State University
| 1922 | 2022–23{{efn|group=faff|Measured from Murray State's departure as a full OVC member.}} | 2023–24 | Public | Racers | {{college color boxes|Murray State Racers}} | Football | MVFC |
;Notes:
{{notelist|group=faff}}
=Membership timeline=
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1948 till:2036
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors =
id:current value:tan2
id:former value:tan1
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote)
id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Full from:1948 till:1949 text:Louisville (1948–1949)
bar:1 shift:(100) color:OtherC1 from:1949 till:1964 text:Independent
bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:1964 till:1975 text:MVC
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1975 till:1995 text:Metro
bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2005 text:C-USA
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:Big East
bar:1 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2014 text:AAC
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:ACC
bar:2 color:Full from:1948 till:1952 text:Evansville (1948–1952)
bar:2 shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:1952 till:1977 text:Indiana Collegiate Conference
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1979 text:DI
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:1994 text:MCC
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:end text:MVC
bar:3 color:Full from:1948 till:1982 text:Western Kentucky (1948–1982)
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:1999 text:Sun Belt
bar:3 color:AssocF from:1999 till:2001 text:('99–'01 in football)
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2014
bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:2014 till:end text:C-USA
bar:4 color:Full from:1948 till:1996 text:Morehead State (1948–present)
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1996 till:end
bar:5 color:Full from:1948 till:2021 text:Eastern Kentucky (1948–2021)
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:ASUN
bar:6 color:Full from:1948 till:2022 text:Murray State (1948–2022)
bar:6 color:AssocF from:2022 till:2023 text:('22–'23 in football)
bar:6 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1949
bar:7 color:Full from:1949 till:1952 text:Marshall (1949–1952)
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:1952 till:1954
bar:7 shift:(55) color:OtherC1 from:1954 till:1969 text:MAC
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:1969 till:1976 text:Independent
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1997 text:SoCon
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:2005 text:MAC
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2022 text:C-USA
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1949
bar:8 color:Full from:1949 till:end text:Tennessee Tech (1949–present)
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1952 text:VSAC
bar:9 color:Full from:1952 till:1999 text:Middle Tennessee State (1952–2000)
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1999 till:2000
bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2000 till:2013 text:Sun Belt
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:C-USA
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1950 text:SMC
bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:1950 till:1951
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1951 till:1957 text:VSAC
bar:10 color:Full from:1957 till:1978 text:East Tennessee State (1957–1978)
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2005 text:SoCon
bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:2005 till:2014 text:ASUN
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:endtext:SoCon
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1962 text:VSAC
bar:11 color:Full from:1962 till:1997 text:Austin Peay (1962–2022)
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1997 till:2007
bar:11 color:Full from:2007 till:2022
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:ASUN
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1966 text:OAC
bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:1966 till:1978 text:Independent
bar:12 shift:(-5) color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1980 text:MCC
bar:12 color:Full from:1980 till:1987 text:Akron (1980–1987)
bar:12 shift:(15) color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1990 text:Ind.
bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1992 text:MCC
bar:12 shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:end text:MAC
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1981 text:Independent
bar:13 color:Full from:1981 till:1988 text:Youngstown State (1981–1988)
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1992
bar:13 shift:(30) color:OtherC2 from:1992 till:2001 text:MCC
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:Horizon
bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1966 text:Midwest
bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1966 till:1986 text:Independent
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1986 till:1988 text:Tennessee State (1986–present)
bar:14 color:Full from:1988 till:end
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1991 text:MIAA
bar:15 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:Southeast Missouri State (1991–present)
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1951 text:Indep.
bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:1951 till:1971 text:VSAC
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1971 till:1991 text:GSC
bar:16 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1992 text:Ind.
bar:16 color:Full from:1992 till:end text:Tennessee-Martin (1992–present)
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1970 text:IIAC
bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:1982 text:Independent
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:1989 text:AMCU
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1996 text:MCC
bar:17 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Eastern Illinois (1996–present)
bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1954 text:Dixie
bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:1954 till:1978 text:Independent
bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2003 text:TAAC/A-Sun
bar:18 color:Full from:2003 till:2008 text:Samford (2003–2008)
bar:18 shift:(60) color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:end text:SoCon
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1959 text:AIC
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1959 till:1971 text:ACC
bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:1971 till:1993 text:GSC
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1995 text:Ind.
bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2003 text:TAAC/A-Sun
bar:19 color:Full from:2003 till:2021 text:Jacksonville State (2003–2021)
bar:19 shift:(-10) color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:2023 text:ASUN
bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:C-USA
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1967 till:1995 text:Independent
bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2008 text:GLVC
bar:20 color:FullxF from:2008 till:end text:SIUE (2008–present)
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1952 till:1985 text:VSAC
bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:1996 text:TCAC
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2001 text:Indep.
bar:21 shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2012 text:A-Sun
bar:21 color:FullxF from:2012 till:2022 text:Belmont (2012–2022)
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:MVC
bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:1970 till:1993 text:NAIA Independent
bar:24 color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:1996 text:AMC
bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2011 text:HAAC
bar:24 shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:2012 text:Ind.
bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2019 text:MIAA
bar:24 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:2022 text:GLVC
bar:24 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:Lindenwood (2022–present)
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1961 text:Independent
bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:1961 till:1977 text:AIC
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1979 text:Ind.
bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:1991 text:TAAC
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2022 text:Sun Belt
bar:25 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:Little Rock (2022–present)
bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:1970 till:1978 text:Independent
bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1978 till:2022 text:GLVC
bar:26 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:Southern Indiana (2022–present)
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1948 till:1970 text:IIAC
bar:27 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:1982 text:Independent
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:1989 text:AMCU
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:2007 text:MCC
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2023 text:Summit
bar:27 color:FullxF from:2023 till:2024 text:Western Illinois (2023–present)
bar:27 color:Full from:2024 till:end
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:1950
TextData =
fontsize:L
textcolor:black
pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center)
text:^"Ohio Valley Conference membership history"
- > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. {{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}|Full members}} {{Font color||{{RGB|141|211|199}}|Full members (non-football)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|251|128|114}}|Assoc. members (football only)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|128|177|211}}|Assoc. member (list sports)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|255|255|179}}|Other Conference}} {{Font color||{{RGB|253|180|98}}|Other Conference}} <#
{{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}| Full members (all sports) }}
{{Font color||{{RGB|141|211|199}}| Full members (non-football) }}
{{Font color||{{RGB|251|128|114}}| Associate members (football-only) }}
{{Font color||{{RGB|128|177|211}}| Associate members (other) }}
{{Font color||{{RGB|255|255|179}}|Other Conference }}
{{Font color||{{RGB|253|180|98}}|Other Conference }}
==Comments==
- Morehead State's football team competes in the Pioneer Football League, a Division I FCS football-only conference whose members choose not to offer athletic scholarships for football.
- Austin Peay's football team left the OVC after the 1996 season to compete as an NCAA D-I FCS Independent. After four seasons as an Independent, the team joined the Pioneer Football League in 2001, and remained there through the 2005 season. Austin Peay then returned to scholarship football, spending the 2006 season as an Independent before re-entering OVC football competition in 2007.
Conference divisions
Starting with the 2012–13 school year, the twelve member schools were split into two divisions for those sports where all schools competed. In the 2014–15 season, women's sports with twelve teams returned to a single league table, while continuing to play a divisional schedule. Men's basketball moved to an 18-game schedule in 2017–18, and they continued to play home-and-home versus the former divisional rivals, and they play home-and-home versus two teams from the other division, with those opponents on a rotation that sets up different pairs from year-to-year. The OVC returned to a single-table format after Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State left in 2021.
| class="wikitable"
|+ !East Division !West Division |
| Belmont
|Austin Peay |
| Eastern Kentucky
|Eastern Illinois |
| Jacksonville State
|Murray State |
| Morehead State
|SIU Edwardsville |
| Tennessee State
|Southeast Missouri |
| Tennessee Tech
|UT Martin |
Sports offered
The Ohio Valley Conference currently offers championship competition in 19 NCAA sanctioned sports, with eight for men, 10 for women, and rifle for men's, women's, and coed teams.{{cite web|url=http://www.ovcsports.com/ |title=Official Web Site of the Ohio Valley Conference |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |access-date=September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002001509/http://www.ovcsports.com/ |archive-date=October 2, 2015 }}
| class="wikitable" style=
|+ Teams in OVC competition !Sport | Men's | Women's | Coed |
| Baseball | {{center|10}} | {{center|–}} | {{center|–}} |
| Basketball | {{center|11}} | {{center|11}} | {{center|–}} |
| Beach Volleyball | {{center|–}} | {{center|6}} | {{center|–}} |
| Cross Country | {{center|11}} | {{center|11}} | {{center|–}} |
| Football | {{center|6}} | {{center|–}} | {{center|–}} |
| Golf | {{center|11}} | {{center|9}} | {{center|–}} |
| Rifle | {{center|0}} | {{center|0}} | {{center|3}} |
| |Soccer | {{center|8}} | {{center|10}} | {{center|–}} |
| Softball | {{center|–}} | {{center|10}} | {{center|–}} |
| Tennis | {{center|–}} | {{center|7}} | {{center|–}} |
| |Track and Field (Indoor) | {{center|8}} | {{center|10}} | {{center|–}} |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | {{center|9}} | {{center|10}} | {{center|–}} |
| Volleyball | {{center|–}} | {{center|11}} | {{center|–}} |
=Men's sponsored sports by school=
Departing members are displayed in red.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%" | ||||||||||
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Rifle{{efn|group=m|Rifle is technically a men's sport, but men's, women's, and coed teams all compete against each other.}}
!Soccer | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Total OVC Sports | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 8 | |
| Lindenwood | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | 6 | |
| Little Rock | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 6 | |
| Morehead State | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}{{efn|group=m|Morehead State football competes at the non-scholarship FCS level in the Pioneer Football League.}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}}{{efn|group=m|name="Coed rifle"|Fields a single coed rifle team.}}
|{{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | 6 | |
| SIU Edwardsville | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 7 | |
| Southeast Missouri | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}}
|{{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 6 | |
| Southern Indiana | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 7 | |
| Tennessee State | {{no}}{{efn|group=m|Tennessee State plans to begin sponsoring baseball by no later than 2028.{{cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/columnist/mike-organ/2024/04/23/tennessee-state-baseball-hbcu-ncaa-mikki-allen-soccer-swimming-hockey/73388243007/|title=Tennessee State is bringing baseball back as an NCAA-sanctioned sport|last=Organ|first=Mike|publisher=The Tennessean|date=April 23, 2024|access-date=April 23, 2024}}}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 6 | |
| Tennessee Tech | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}
|{{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | 5 | |
| UT Martin | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}}{{efn|group=m|Fields two separate rifle teams—one coed, and one women-only.}}
|{{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | 6 | |
| Western Illinois | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 8 |
| colspan="11" align="center" | Associate members | ||||||||||
| Bryant
| | | | |{{yes}} | | | | |1 | ||||||||||
| Houston Christian
| | | | | | |{{yes}} | | |1 | ||||||||||
| Incarnate Word
| | | | | | |{{yes}} | | |1 | ||||||||||
| Liberty
| | | | | | |{{yes}} | | |1 | ||||||||||
| Murray State
| | | | | |{{yes}}{{efn|group=m|name="Coed rifle"}} | | | | 1 | ||||||||||
| Totals || 10 || 11 || 11 || 7 || 11 || 3 || 8 || 8 || 9 || 77 |
;Notes
{{notelist|group=m}}
;Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Ohio Valley Conference which are played by OVC schools
;Notes
{{notelist|group=mn}}
=Women's sponsored sports by school=
Departing members in red.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%" | ||||||||||||
| School | Basketball | Beach Volleyball | Cross Country | Golf | Rifle{{efn|group=ws|Rifle is technically a men's sport, but men's, women's, and coed teams all compete against each other. All competing OVC schools have coed teams, and UT Martin has both a women's and a coed team.}} | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball (Indoor) | Total OVC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}}{{efn|group=ws|Eastern Illinois dropped women's tennis immediately after the 2024–25 season.}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 9 |
| Lindenwood | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 10 |
| Little Rock | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 7 |
| Morehead State | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}}† | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 10 |
| Southeast Missouri | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 8 |
| Southern Indiana | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 9 |
| SIU Edwardsville | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 8 |
| Tennessee State | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}}{{efn|group=w|Tennessee State plans to begin sponsoring women's soccer by no later than 2028.}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 8 |
| Tennessee Tech | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 8 |
| UT Martin | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}}x2† | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | 7 |
| Western Illinois | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 10 |
| colspan=13 align=center | Associate members | ||||||||||||
| Bryant | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 2 | |||||||||
| Chattanooga | {{yes}} | 1 | ||||||||||
| Murray State | {{yes}}† | 1 | ||||||||||
| Totals || 11 || 6 || 11 || 9 || 4 || 10 || 10 || 7 || 10 || 10 || 11 || 100 |
{{notelist|group=ws}}
;Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Ohio Valley Conference which are played by OVC schools
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:60%" | ||||||||
| School | Equestrian{{efn|group=wns|name=ESW|Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.}} | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Lacrosse | Rodeo{{efn|group=wns|Rodeo is sanctioned by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), not the NCAA. UT Martin considers rodeo to be a varsity sport.}} | Stunt{{efn|group=wns|name=ESW}} | Swimming & Diving | Wrestling{{efn|group=ws|name=ESW}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | — | — | — | — | — | — | Summit | – |
| Lindenwood | — | — | AHA | ASUN{{cite press release|url=https://asunsports.org/sports/wlax/2021-22/releases/20220429kfmz1o |title=#ASUNWLAX Announces Addition of Lindenwood for 2023 Season |publisher=ASUN Conference |date=May 2, 2022 |accessdate=May 7, 2022}} | — | — | — | Independent |
| Little Rock | — | — | — | — | — | — | MVC | – |
| Southeast Missouri | — | MIC | — | — | — | — | – | – |
| Southern Indiana | – | – | – | – | – | — | Summit | – |
| Tennessee State | – | – | – | – | – | — | {{efn|group=w|Tennessee State plans to begin sponsoring women's swimming & diving by no later than 2028.}} | – |
| UT Martin | ECAC | — | — | — | NIRA | Independent | — | — |
{{notelist|group=wns}}
Conference champions
=Football conference champions=
This is a list of the champions between 2010 and the 2023 establishment of the OVC–Big South Football Association.{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2008/Pages%20427-441%20-%202007%20Standings.pdf|title=Conference Standings and Champions|access-date=March 7, 2009}} For the complete history, see List of Ohio Valley Conference football champions.
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Regular Season Champion !Record !FCS Championship Result |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;"|2010
|Southeast Missouri State | style="text-align:center;"|7–1 |Second Round |
| style="text-align:center;"|2011
|Tennessee Tech* | style="text-align:center;"|6–2 |First Round |
| style="text-align:center;"|2012
|Eastern Illinois | style="text-align:center;"|6–1 |First Round |
| style="text-align:center;"|2013
|Eastern Illinois | style="text-align:center;"|8–0 |Quarterfinals |
| style="text-align:center;"|2014
|Jacksonville State | style="text-align:center;"|8–0 |Second Round |
| style="text-align:center;"|2015
|Jacksonville State | style="text-align:center;"|8–0 |FCS Championship Runner Up |
| style="text-align:center;"|2016
|Jacksonville State | style="text-align:center;"|7–0 |First Round |
| style="text-align:center;"|2017
|Jacksonville State | style="text-align:center;"|8–0 |Second Round |
| 2018
| Jacksonville State | style="text-align:center;"|7–1 | Second Round |
| 2019
| Austin Peay** | style="text-align:center;"|7–1 |Quarterfinals |
| 2020
| Jacksonville State | style="text-align:center;"|6–1 | Quarterfinals |
| 2021
| UT Martin | align=center | 5–1 | Second Round |
| 2022
| Southeast Missouri State*** | style="text-align:center;"|5-0 | First Round |
- – Tennessee Tech won the tie-breaker and received the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
- – Austin Peay won the tie-breaker and received the automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.
- - Southeast Missouri won the tie-breaker and received the automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.
=Basketball=
This is a list of the champions since 2010. For the complete men's history, see List of Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball champions.
{{see also|Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament}}
{{see also|Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball tournament}}
| class="wikitable" "text-align:center; width=80%;" |
| rowspan="2" |Year
!colspan="3" |Men's ! !colspan="3" |Women's |
|---|
| Regular Season Champion
!Record !Tournament champion ! !Regular Season Champion !Record !Tournament champion |
| 2010–11
|Murray State |14–4 |Morehead State Tourney ! |Tennessee Tech |15–3 |UT Martin |
| 2011–12
|Murray State |15–1 |Murray State Tourney ! |UT Martin |15–1 |UT Martin |
| 2012–13
|East: Belmont |14–2 |Belmont Tourney ! |East: Tennessee Tech |12–4 |UT Martin |
| 2013–14
|East: Belmont |14–2 |Eastern Kentucky Tourney ! |East: Belmont |10–6 |UT Martin |
| 2014–15
| East: Eastern Kentucky & Belmont | 11–5 | Belmont Tourney ! | UT Martin | 16–0 | Tennessee State |
| 2015–16
| East: Belmont | 12–4 | Austin Peay Tourney ! | UT Martin | 14–2 | Belmont |
| 2016–17
| East: Belmont | 15–1 | Jacksonville State Tourney ! | Belmont | 16–0 | Belmont |
| 2017–18
| Murray State | 15–2 | Murray State Tourney ! | Belmont | 18–0 | Belmont Tourney |
| 2018–19
| Belmont | 16–2 | Murray State Tourney ! | Belmont | 16–2 | Belmont Tourney |
| 2019–20
| Belmont | 15–3 | Belmont Tourney ! | Belmont | 16–2 | Southeast Missouri State Tourney |
| 2020–21
| Belmont | 18–2 | Morehead State Tourney ! | UT Martin | 17–4 | Belmont Tourney |
| 2021–22
| Murray State | 18–0 | Murray State Tourney ! | Belmont | 16–2 | Belmont Tourney |
| 2022–23
| Morehead State | 14–4 | Southeast Missouri Tourney ! | Little Rock | 17–1 | Tennessee Tech Tourney |
| 2023–24
| Little Rock | 14–4 | Morehead State Tourney ! | Southern Indiana | 17–1 | Southern Indiana Tourney |
=Baseball=
This is a list of the champions since 2010.
| class="wikitable" "text-align:center; width=80%;" | ||
| Year
!Regular Season Champion !OVC !Season !Tournament champion !OVC !Season | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010
|Tennessee Tech |14–6 |31–25 |Jacksonville State |15–8 |32–26 | ||
| 2011
|Austin Peay |17–6 |34–24 |Austin Peay |17–6 |34–24 | ||
| 2012
|Austin Peay |19–7 |40–24 |Austin Peay |19–7 |40–24 | ||
| 2013
|Tennessee Tech |24–6 |40–17 |Austin Peay |22–7 |47–15 | ||
| 2014
|Southeast Missouri |23–7 |37–20 |Jacksonville State |18–12 |36–27 | ||
| 2015
|Southeast Missouri |22–8 |36–23 |Morehead State |20–10 |38–22 | ||
| 2016
|Southeast Missouri |22–8 |39–21 |Southeast Missouri |22–8 |39–21 | ||
| 2017
|Tennessee Tech | 23–7
|39–18 |Tennessee Tech | 23–7
|39–18 |
| 2018
|Tennessee Tech | 27–3
|53–12 |Morehead State | 18–12
|37–26 |
| 2019
|Jacksonville State | 22–8
| 39–23 |Jacksonville State | 22–8
| 39–23 |
| 2020
|Canceled | ||
| 2021
|Southeast Missouri State | 17–10
| 30–22 |Southeast Missouri State | 17–10
| 30–22 |
- # = 2009 Eastern Illinois lost 1 conference and 4 non-conference games by forfeit for using an ineligible player.
=Softball=
This is a list of the champions since 2010.
| class="wikitable" "text-align:center; width=80%;" |
| Year
!Regular Season Champion !OVC !Season !Tournament champion !OVC !Season |
|---|
| 2010
|UT Martin |22–3 |47–11 |Jacksonville State |13–6 |30–19 |
| 2011
|Eastern Illinois |26–4 |40–12 |Jacksonville State |21–9 |40–21 |
| 2012
|UT Martin |23–6 |39–22 |UT Martin |23–6 |39–22 |
| 2013
|East– Eastern Kentucky |19–6 |36–20 |Jacksonville State |11–11 |30–27 |
| 2014
|East– Jacksonville State |22–5 |40–15 |SIUE |19–5 |30–23 |
| 2015
| SIUE | 20–6 | 43–16 | Tennessee Tech | 15–11 | 33–28 |
| 2016
| Jacksonville State | 26–0 | 43–17 | Jacksonville State | 26–0 | 43–17 |
| 2017
| Jacksonville State | 15–1 | 41–12 | Jacksonville State | 15–1 | 41–12 |
| 2018
| Eastern Kentucky | 19–3 | 45–21 | Jacksonville State | 16–6 | 35–25 |
| 2019
| Southeast Missouri State | 17–5 | 46–18 | Southeast Missouri State | 17–5 | 46–18 |
| 2020
|Canceled |
| 2021
| Southeast Missouri | 23–6 | 30–17 | Eastern Kentucky | 22–9 | 35–17 |
| 2022
| Murray State | 21–7 | 40–18–1 | Murray State | 21–7 | 40–18–1 |
=Men's soccer=
Men's soccer was first sponsored by the OVC in 2023.{{cite web |url=https://ovcsports.com/news/2023/12/13/ovc-mens-soccer-report-final.aspx |title=OVC Men's Soccer Report - Final |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |date=December 13, 2023 |access-date=March 18, 2024}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Regular season champions !Tournament champions |
|---|
| 2023
| SIUE | SIUE |
=Women's soccer=
This is a list of champions since 2010.{{cite web|author=OVC Sports |url=http://ovcsports.com/documents/2015/3/18/Soccer_Records.pdf |title=Ohio Valley Conference |publisher=Ohio Valley Conference |access-date=August 28, 2017}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Regular season champions !Tournament champions |
|---|
| 2010
|Morehead State |Morehead State |
| 2011
|Southeast Missouri |UT Martin |
| 2012
|UT Martin |UT Martin |
| 2013
|UT Martin |Morehead State |
| 2014
|Southeast Missouri |SIUE |
| 2015
|Murray State |Murray State |
| 2016
|Murray State |SIUE |
| 2017
|Murray State |Murray State |
| 2018
|UT Martin |Murray State |
| 2019
|Southeast Missouri |Belmont |
| 2020-21
|Murray State |SIUE |
| 2021
|UT Martin |SIUE |
| 2022
| Tennessee Tech | SIUE |
| 2023
| Tennessee Tech | Morehead State |
Facilities
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" |
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|border=2|team=Ohio Valley Conference | School | Football stadium | Capacity | Soccer stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball stadium | Capacity | Softball stadium | Capacity | Volleyball arena | Capacity }} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Eastern Illinois Panthers |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Eastern Illinois Panthers
| 10,000 | Lakeside Soccer Field | {{nts|1000}} | 5,300 | Coaches Stadium | 500 | Williams Field | {{nts|200}} | 5,300 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Lindenwood Lions |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Lindenwood Lions
| {{nts|7450}} | {{nts|7450}} | {{nts|3270}} | {{nts|700}} | {{nts|300}} | {{nts|3270}} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Little Rock Trojans |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Little Rock Trojans
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Non-football school | Coleman Sports Complex | {{nts|300}} | {{nts|5600}} | {{nts|2550}} | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Non-softball school | {{nts|5600}} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Morehead State Eagles |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Morehead State Eagles
| 10,000 | Jayne Stadium | {{nts|10000}} | 6,500 | 1,200 | University Field | {{nts|500}} | 6,500 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Southeast Missouri State Redhawks |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
| 11,015 | Houck Stadium | {{nts|11015}} | 6,972 | 2,000 | Southeast Softball Complex | {{nts|1000}} | Houck Fieldhouse | 1,000 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Non-football school | Strassweg Field | 550 | {{nts|4,800}} | {{nts|1,200}} | USI Softball Field | 400 | {{nts|4,800}} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|SIU Edwardsville Cougars |color=#FFFFFF}}"| SIU Edwardsville Cougars
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Non-football school | Bob Guelker Field at Ralph Korte Stadium | 4,000 | {{nts|4000}} | Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex | 1,500 | Cougar Field | {{nts|800}} | 4,000 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Tennessee State Tigers |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Tennessee State Tigers and Lady Tigers
| 68,000 | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Non-soccer school | 10,500 | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Non-baseball school | Tiger Field | {{nts|500}} | Kean Hall | 2,500 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
| 16,500 | Tech Soccer Field | {{nts|800}} | 9,280 | Bush Stadium at Averitt Express Baseball Complex | 1,100 | Tech Softball Field | {{nts|800}} | 9,280 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|UT Martin Skyhawks |color=#FFFFFF}}"| UT Martin Skyhawks
| 7,500 | Skyhawk Soccer Field | {{nts|500}} | 4,300 | 500 | Bettye Giles Softball Field | {{nts|500}} | 3,000 |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Western Illinois Leathernecks |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Western Illinois Leathernecks
| 16,368 | John MacKenzie Alumni Field | {{nts|1,000}} | 5,139 | {{nts|500}} | Mary Ellen McKee Stadium | {{nts|550}} | 5,139 |
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|border=2|col1span=5|team=Ohio Valley Conference | Men's soccer affiliates}} |
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|border=2|team=Ohio Valley Conference | School | Stadium | Capacity }} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Houston Christian Huskies |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Houston Christian Huskies men's soccer
| Sorrels Field | {{nts|500}} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Incarnate Word Cardinals |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Incarnate Word Cardinals men's soccer
| Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium | {{nts|6000}} |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Liberty Flames |color=#FFFFFF}}"| Liberty Flames men's soccer
| Osborne Stadium | {{nts|1000}} |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
- {{Cite web|url=http://ovcsports.com/news/2018/8/15/general-espn.aspx|title=OVC Extends Agreement With ESPN, Will Broadcast Contests on ESPN+|website=ovcsports.com|language=en|access-date=February 27, 2020|date=August 27, 2018}}
External links
{{commons cat}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Ohio Valley Conference navbox}}
{{NCAA Division I all-sports conferences}}
{{NCAA Division I FCS conference navbox}}
Category:Sports in the Midwestern United States
Category:Sports in the Southern United States
Category:Sports organizations established in 1948