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, seven of which compete in football in the conference.
Roy Lee Kidd was an American collegiate football league player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up in 1980 and 1981. His 314 career victories are second-most in NCAA Division I-AA/FCS history, trailing only those of Grambling State's Eddie Robinson. Kidd was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2003.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels football program represents Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in college football, competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The school has traditionally had much success on the football field, having won 21 OVC conference titles and two Division I FCS National Championships in 1979 and 1982, and reaching the finals in 1980 and 1981. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium. Eastern Kentucky's football team was able to secure 31 consecutive winning seasons before finally posting a losing season record in 2009.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), located in Richmond, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference since the 2021–22 academic year. Its football team competes in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which starts play in 2023 as a football-only merger of the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Colonels previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 2020–21.
The 2009 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team was led by Dean Hood, the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Roy Kidd Coach of the Year. Hood was in his second season as head coach. The season marked the Colonels' 100th season of play. The Colonels played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. The team finished the season with a record of 5–6 overall and 5–3 in OVC play.
Dean Scott Hood is an American former college football coach who currently works as the director of player development at the University of Kentucky. He was the head football coach at Murray State University from 2020 to 2023 and at Eastern Kentucky University from 2008 to 2015. His inaugural 2008 season ended successfully as he led the Colonels to the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference football title.
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 2011 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team represented Jacksonville State University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 12th-year head coach Jack Crowe, the Gamecocks compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, sharing the OVC title with Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech. Despite the conference title, Jacksonville State was not invited to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. The Gamecocks lost to both Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky. The team played home games at Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The 2011 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football team represented Tennessee Technological University as a member of Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Watson Brown, the Golden Eagles compiled an overall record of 7–4 overall with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, sharing the OVC title with Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State. Tennessee Tech received the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Central Arkansas. The team played home games at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tennessee.
The 2012 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Dean Hood and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Kentucky had an overall record of 8–3 with a 6–2 mark in OVC play to finish in a tie for second place.
The 2013 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by sixth year head coach Dean Hood and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Kentucky had an overall record of 6–6 with a mark 4–4 in OVC play to finish in a tie for fifth place.
The 2014 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by seventh-year head coach Dean Hood and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Kentucky had an overall record of 9–4 and 6–2 in OVC play to finish in second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Indiana State.
The 2014 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team represented Jacksonville State University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach John Grass, the Gamecocks compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the OVC title. Jacksonville State received the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. After a first-round bye, the Gamecocks lost in the second round to Sam Houston State. The team played home games at Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The 2015 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by eighth-year head coach Dean Hood and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. The Colonels were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place.
The 2016 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 3–8, 2–6 in OVC play to finish in eighth place.
The 2017 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 4–7, 3–5 in OVC play to finish in a tie for fifth place.
The 2018 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 7–4, 5–2 in OVC play to finish in third place.
The 2019 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 7–5, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place. Elder was fired following the season. He finished with a record of 21–24.
The 2020 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by Walt Wells in his first season as the program's 15th head coach. The Colonels played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium and competed as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
