Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)-(FCS)
Overview: Despite being the only team in its league to win at least 10 games in a single season, the University of Tennesse-Martin (UT-Martin) Skyhawks still found a way to represent a constantly changing Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in the FCS playoffs. After finishing 5-1 in OVC action, good enough to win the conference championship, the Skyhawks rallied in the final seconds to stun Missouri State on the road in the first round. UTM's season ended in the second round with a 26-7 loss at eventual national runner-up Montana State to finish at 10-3 overall.
Like most conferences competing at the FCS level, the OVC has and will continue to undergo, multiple changes in the coming seasons, as Murray State has announced its intentions to leave for the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) by July 1, 2023. Also, another former member in Jacksonville State has made the transition from the OVC to the fledgling ASun Conference, to the FBS in less than one calendar year, leaving the league without one of its perennial powerhouse programs in terms of fielding teams for postseason play.
If that wasn't enough, the OVC also lost yet another longtime member in Austin Peay to the ASun during the 2021 season, with the Governors' departure resulting in having only seven teams to take the field this fall. That seventh team will come from St. Charles, Mo., in the form of the Lindenwood University Lions. The Lions will begin the four-year transition period to the FCS after finishing at 9-3 overall, and undefeated in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) at 7-0 in 2021, which was good enough for them to win the GLVC title outright. Lindenwood lost in the first round of the D-II playoffs to Grand Valley State.
Additionally, with their recent agreement to enter into a scheduling alliance with the Big South Conference starting in 2023, the OVC will have multiple chances to get multiple teams in the FCS playoffs in future seasons. The OVC will also have an alliance with the Southland Conference for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, although the latter agreement is unlikely to have any implications on postseason play.
For now, however, expect the OVC to be another fight to the finish, with Murray State and UT-Martin expected to be among the contenders for the conference championship this fall.
2022 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final (Fall) 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Football Standings
2022 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final (Fall) 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Football Standings
*-Ineligible for OVC title, transitioning from the NCAA Division II level.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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