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, the lower of two levels of Division I football competition. The OVC has 11 members, six of which compete in football in the conference.
Roy Stewart Stadium is a 16,800-seat multi-purpose stadium in Murray, Kentucky. It opened in 1973 and is home to the Murray State University Racers football, rifle and women's track and field teams. Before Racers football left the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) for the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in 2023, the stadium was the second-largest of any on-campus stadium in the OVC; it now lies roughly at the MVFC average.
The Murray State Racers are the athletic teams that represent Murray State University (MSU), located in Murray, Kentucky, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Racers previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 2021–22; and in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1933–34 to 1947–48.
The 2009 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Tom O'Brien. It was O'Brien's third season as NC State's head coach. The Wolfpack played their home games at Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Wolfpack finished the season 5–7, 2–6 in ACC play and failed to qualify for a bowl game.
The Murray State Racers football team represents Murray State University in the sport of American football. The Racers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I and the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).
The 2009–10 Murray State Racers men's basketball team represented Murray State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Billy Kennedy's fourth season at Murray State. The Racers competed in the Ohio Valley Conference and played their home games at the Regional Special Events Center, also known simply as the RSEC. They finished the season 31–5, 17–1 in OVC play to capture the regular season championship. They also won the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. They earned a 13 seed in the West Region where they upset 4 seed and AP #21 Vanderbilt in the first round before losing to 5 seed and AP #11 Butler in the second round.
The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), having joined that conference in 2022 after 74 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round.
The 2010 Kent State Golden Flashes football team represented Kent State University during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Flashes, led by seventh-year head coach Doug Martin, compete in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference and played their home games at Dix Stadium. They finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in MAC play. Head coach Doug Martin resigned on November 21 effective at the end of the season.
The 2010–11 Murray State Racers men's basketball team represented Murray State University in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This was head coach Billy Kennedy's fifth season at Murray State. The Racers competed in the Ohio Valley Conference and played their home games at the CFSB Center. They finished the season 23–8, 14–4 in OVC play to capture the regular season championship.
The 2011 Murray State Racers football team represented Murray State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Racers were led by second-year head coach Chris Hatcher and played their home games at Roy Stewart Stadium. They are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 7–4, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place. Average home attendance for the 2011 season was 5,642.
The Battle for the Red Belt is an American college football rivalry between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team of Western Kentucky University and the Murray State Racers football team of Murray State University. The rivalry began as an in-conference rivalry within the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), but both schools have since departed for other conferences. The Hilltoppers were the first to move, transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision and playing as an independent in the 2008 season before moving football to the Sun Belt Conference in 2009, followed by a move to Conference USA in 2014. The Racers, which remain in the Football Championship Subdivision to this day, played their final OVC season in 2022, and joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023. The rivalry has continued as a trophy game, although it is no longer played on an annual basis.
The 2012 Murray State Racers football team represented Murray State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Chris Hatcher and played their home games at Roy Stewart Stadium. They are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 5–6, 4–4 in OVC play to finish in sixth place.
Matthew Jude Griffin is an American professional football coach and former collegiate player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) from 2003 to 2006, and Murray State University from 2007 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 21 wins and 58 losses.
Joseph March is a former arena football offensive lineman and defensive lineman in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Denver Dynamite, Sacramento Attack, Miami Hooters, Tampa Bay Storm and the Nashville Kats. He played college football at Murray State University. In 2000, March was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
Matthew Joseph McMahon is the current men's college basketball head coach for LSU. McMahon was formerly the men's basketball coach at Murray State. In his third year leading the program, McMahon led the Racers to a 26–6 record that included Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships. He played college basketball at Appalachian State University.
The 2017 Murray State Racers football team represented Murray State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Mitch Stewart and played their home games at Roy Stewart Stadium. They were members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 3–8, 2–5 in OVC play to finish in a tie for seventh place.
The 2018 Murray State Racers football team represented Murray State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Mitch Stewart and played their home games at Roy Stewart Stadium. They were members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 5–6, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place.
Aubrey Lamar Reese is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-foot point guard, he played college basketball at Murray State for 3 years, being named the OVC Player of the Year in 2000. After going undrafted in the 2000 NBA draft he started his professional career in the USBL in 2000, and the following season he was named the USBL Player of the Year. He then moved to Europe, and in 2003 he was the top scorer of the LNB Pro A in France. He has played in several countries in Asia and Europe, including France, Germany, Israel, Russia and Turkey.
The 2019 Murray State Racers football team represented Murray State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Mitch Stewart and played their home games at Roy Stewart Stadium. They were members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 2–6 in OVC play to finish in a tie for seventh place. Stewart was reassigned to a new position within the athletic department following the season, he finished with a record of 19–37.
The 2020 Murray State Racers football team represented Murray State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by Dean Hood in his first season as the program's 19th head coach. The Racers played their home games at Roy Stewart Stadium. They competed as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
