List of Ohio Valley Conference football champions

Last updated

Ohio Valley Conference football champions
Conference Football Champion
Sport College football
Conference Ohio Valley Conference
Number of teams9
Played1948–2022
Current championAustin Peay (2) Southeast Missouri State (2)
Most championships Eastern Kentucky (21)

This is a list of yearly regular season champions in college football of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) FCS Ohio Valley Conference. Fifteen different teams have won a championship in the seven decade history of the OVC; every team that plays in the conference has won at least one conference championship. [1]

Contents

After the 2022 season, the OVC effectively merged its football league with that of the Big South Conference as the Big South–OVC Football Association.

Champions by year

SeasonChampionRecord
1948 Murray State 3–1
Evansville 3–1
1949 Evansville 3–1–1
1950 Murray State 5–0–1
1951 Murray State 5–1
1952 Tennessee Tech 4–1
Western Kentucky 4–1
1953 Tennessee Tech 5–0
1954 Eastern Kentucky 5–0
1955 Tennessee Tech 5–0
1956 Middle Tennessee 5–0
1957 Middle Tennessee 5–0
1958 Middle Tennessee 5–1
Tennessee Tech 5–1
1959 Middle Tennessee 5–0–1
Tennessee Tech 5–0–1
1960 Tennessee Tech 6–0
1961 Tennessee Tech 6–0
1962 East Tennessee State 4–2
Eastern Kentucky 4–2
Middle Tennessee 4–2
Morehead State 4–2
1963 Western Kentucky 7–0
1964 Middle Tennessee 6–1
1965 Middle Tennessee 7–0
1966 Morehead State 6–1
1967 Eastern Kentucky 5–0–2
1968 Eastern Kentucky 7–0
1969 East Tennessee State 6–0–1
1970 Western Kentucky 5–1–1
1971 Western Kentucky 5–2
1972 Tennessee Tech 7–0
1973 Western Kentucky 7–0
1974 Eastern Kentucky 6–1
1975 Tennessee Tech 6–1
Western Kentucky6–1
1976 Eastern Kentucky 6–1
1977 Austin Peay State 6–1
1978 Western Kentucky 6–0
1979 Murray State 6–0
1980 Western Kentucky 6–1
1981 Eastern Kentucky 8–0
1982 Eastern Kentucky 7–0
1983 Eastern Kentucky 6–1
1984 Eastern Kentucky 6–1
1985 Middle Tennessee 7–0
1986 Eastern Kentucky 6–1
Murray State 6–1
1987 Eastern Kentucky 5–1
Youngstown State 5–1
1988 Eastern Kentucky 6–0
1989 Middle Tennessee 6–0
1990 Eastern Kentucky 5–1
Middle Tennessee 5–1
1991 Eastern Kentucky 7–0
1992 Middle Tennessee 8–0
1993 Eastern Kentucky 8–0
1994 Eastern Kentucky 8–0
1995 Murray State 8–0
1996 Murray State 8–0
1997 Eastern Kentucky 7–0
1998 Tennessee State 6–1
1999 Tennessee State 7–0
2000 Western Kentucky 7–0
2001 Eastern Illinois 6–1
2002 Eastern Illinois 5–1
Murray State 5–1
2003 Jacksonville State 7–1
2004 Jacksonville State 7–1
2005 Eastern Illinois 8–0
2006 Eastern Illinois 7–1
UT Martin 6–1
2007 Eastern Kentucky 8–0
2008 Eastern Kentucky 7–1
2009 Eastern Illinois [n 1] 6–2
2010 Southeast Missouri State 7–1
2011 Tennessee Tech [n 2] 6–2
Eastern Kentucky 6–2
Jacksonville State 6–2
2012 Eastern Illinois 6–1
2013 Eastern Illinois 8–0
2014 Jacksonville State 8–0
2015 Jacksonville State 8–0
2016 Jacksonville State 8–0
2017 Jacksonville State 8–0
2018 Jacksonville State 7–1
2019 Austin Peay 7–1
Southeast Missouri State 7–1
2020/21 Jacksonville State ††6–1
2021 UT Martin 5–1
2022 Southeast Missouri State 5-0
UT Martin 5-0

† Both the OVC [1] :82 [2] and Tennessee Tech [3] list Tennessee Tech (6–1) as champion, while Western Kentucky (6–1) with a head-to-head victory over Tennessee Tech claims this as a co-championship. [4]

†† Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 OVC season was postponed until the Spring of 2021. Some teams played in the Fall. However, all conference games were played as per normal and the champions were crowned on April 11, 2021.

Championships by team

TeamOhio Valley
Championships
Years
Eastern Kentucky 211954, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2011
Middle Tennessee State 111956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1992
Tennessee Tech 101952, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1975, 2011
Jacksonville State 92003, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020/21
Western Kentucky 91952, 1963, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975†,1978, 1980, 2000
Murray State 81948, 1950, 1951, 1979, 1986, 1995, 1996, 2002
Eastern Illinois 72001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013
Southeast Missouri State 32010, 2019, 2022
UT Martin 32006, 2021, 2022
Tennessee State 21998, 1999
East Tennessee State 21962, 1969
Morehead State 21962, 1966
Evansville 21948, 1949
Austin Peay 21977, 2019
Youngstown State 11987

Bold indicates an outright conference championship.

Italics indicates a school not competing in the Big South–OVC Football Association.

† Claimed as a co-championship by WKU, but not recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference.

Notes

  1. Jacksonville State (6–1) had the best record in the conference, but was ineligible for the championship due to Academic Progress Rate sanctions.
  2. Tennessee Tech won the tiebreaker for the conference's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Valley Conference</span> US college athletic conference

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray State Racers</span> Athletic teams of Murray State University, Kentucky US

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football</span> College football team that represents Western Kentucky University

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football program is a college football team that represents Western Kentucky University. The team competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level and represents the university as a member of Conference USA in the Eastern division. The 2002 team was the FCS national champion. The program has 13 conference championships and 7 FBS-level bowl game victories. The Hilltoppers play their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the team's head football coach is Tyson Helton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Kentucky Colonels football</span> Football program representing Eastern Kentucky University

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeast Missouri State Redhawks</span> Collegiate sports club in the USA

The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks are the athletic teams of Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States. The Redhawks athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level including the Football Championship Subdivision. The SEMO mascot is Rowdy the Redhawk and the school colors are red and black.

John Oldham was an American college and professional basketball player, college basketball coach and athletic director. Oldham interrupted his studies at Western Kentucky University (WKU) to serve in the US Navy during World War II. He was on the university's basketball team and after graduation in 1949 played for the Fort Wayne Pistons. Oldham went into coaching in 1952 at College High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 1955 he became coach of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men's basketball and led the team to three conference championships. He returned to WKU in 1964 to coach the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team, leading them to four NCAA tournaments, one NIT, and winning four Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championships. In 1971 Oldham was promoted to athletic director at WKU, a position he held until 1986. During his tenure the university won six OVC and one Sun Belt Conference All-Sports Championship. After retirement he was elected to the Bowling Green City Commission.

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football</span> Intercollegiate American football team

The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Tennessee Technological University located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1922. The team plays its home games at the 16,500 seat Tucker Stadium and is coached by Bobby Wilder.

Ralph E. Crosthwaite was an American basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at Western Kentucky University (WKU) between 1954–55 and 1958–59. Within the WKU community, he is considered to be one of the greatest players in program history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football team</span> American college football season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles</span>

The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Tennessee Technological University (TTU), located in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. The TTU athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes in NCAA Division I, including the Football Championship Subdivision. The Tech mascot is Awesome Eagle, and the school colors are purple and gold.

The 1975 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in September and concluded with the Division II Championship on December 13 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The 1975 Western Kentucky football team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season. The team came off an 7–3 record from the prior season and was led by coach Jimmy Feix. They claimed a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship and returned to the NCAA Division II Football Championship for the second time in three years. One of the highlights of the season was a victory over NCAA Division I Louisville. The Hilltoppers won their first two playoff games, including a win over New Hampshire in the Grantland Rice Bowl, before falling in the championship game to Northern Michigan in the Camellia Bowl. They finished ranked 3rd in both the AP and UPI final polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football team represented Tennessee Technological University as a member of Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Dewayne Alexander, the Golden Eagles compiled an overall record of 6–6 overall with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the OVC. Tennessee Tech played home games at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Tre Lamb is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at East Tennessee State University, a position he has held since November 2023. Lamb served as the head football coach at Gardner–Webb University from 2020 to 2023. He previously worked as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech and Mercer University.

The 1952 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State College in the 1952 college football season. They were coached by Jack Clayton and shared their first Ohio Valley Conference football championship and won their first bowl game, the Refrigerator Bowl. The team was led by college division AP All-American and All-OVC Quarterback Jimmy Feix and matched the school record for most wins set in 1922. R. E. Simpson, Marvin Satterly, Gene McFadden, and Max Stevens were also named to the All-OVC team. The team's captains were Dave Miller and Denny Wedge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970–71 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1970–71 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1970–71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year John Oldham and consensus All-American player Jim McDaniels. WKU won the OVC season championship, as well as the conference's automatic bid to the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. No conference tournament was held, so the conference bid was awarded to the season champion. The Hilltoppers advanced to the NCAA Final Four, though the tournament games were later vacated by the NCAA due to McDaniels having signed a contract with an agent.

The 2021 Ohio Valley Conference women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Ohio Valley Conference held from October 29 through November 7, 2021. The first round and quarterfinals of the tournament were held at campus sites hosted by the #3 and #4 seeds, while the semifinals and final took place at Skyhawk Soccer Field in Martin, Tennessee. The eight-team single-elimination tournament consisted of four rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The SIU Edwardsville Cougars were the defending champions and successfully defended their crown by defeating top seeded UT Martin in the final. The conference tournament title was the fourth for the SIU Edwardsville women's soccer program, all of which have come under head coach Derek Burton. As tournament champions, SIU Edwardsville earned the Ohio Valley's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.

The 1975 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University—as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season. Led by first-year head coach Ben Hurt, the Blue Raiders compiled a record an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play. The team's captains were Boyd, Emert, and Woodfork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big South–OVC Football Association</span> American college football conference

The Big South–OVC Football Association is an association of football members of the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The Big South–OVC covers the American Midwest and South with member institutions located in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

References

  1. 1 2 "2017 Ohio Valley Conference Media Guide" (PDF). ovcsports.com.
  2. "Past OVC Football Champions". ovcsports.com.
  3. "2014 Tennessee Tech Football Guide". ttusports.com. Tennessee Tech Athletics. p. 166.
  4. "2017 WKU Football Media Guide" (PDF). wkusports.com. Western Kentucky Athletics. p. 164. Retrieved April 25, 2018.