Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Alliance (FCS)
Overview: Despite some early-season struggles in non-conference play, the Gardner-Webb University Runnin' Bulldogs found a way to win their second straight conference championship and advance to the FCS playoffs for the second straight season.
Gardner-Webb parlayed its' 5-1 mark in Big South-Ohio Valley Conference play into an eventual 7-4 regular-season finish. However, their upset win over then #13 UT Martin on October 28 helped the Runnin' Bulldogs seal another postseason berth. G-W fell to Mercer 17-7 in the first round of the FCS playoffs to finish the 2023 season at 7-5 overall.
Looking ahead to 2024, expect UT Martin and Eastern Illinois to mount serious challenges to Gardner-Webb in the race for the BS-OVC title. While the Skyhawks and Panthers finished their respective 2023 campaigns at 8-3 overall, UTM finished 5-1 in conference play, while EIU finished at 4-2. Unfortunately, though, neither team advanced to postseason play.
Finally, the BS-OVC will undergo several membership changes this fall, with Bryant leaving for the CAA, while Robert Morris left to rejoin the Northeast Conference (NEC). Meanwhile, Western Illinois will move from the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) to the BS-OVC after finishing winless at 0-11 in 2023.
The departures of Bryant and Robert Morris, and the addition of Western Illinois, will give the BS-OVC nine football teams in 2024.
2024 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule needs to be highlighted, it still needs to submit its schedule for the 2024 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule needs to be highlighted, it still needs to submit its schedule for the 2024 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.
Final 2023 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Alliance Standings
*-Lindenwood is transitioning from the NCAA Division II to the FCS level and therefore ineligible for postseason play.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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