BRENTWOOD, Tenn. and CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After a successful first season of competition for the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Football Association, the Board of Presidents and Chancellors of the nine regionally-aligned member institutions have solidified their commitment to each other with a new enhanced agreement that will provide an opportunity to extend the original partnership through 2030 and beyond.
This agreement, which strengthens the structure between the FCS-committed institutions, is intended to provide all members access to the automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Playoffs, long-term stability, and a competitive league schedule. All teams will play eight Association games this season, renewing established rivalries and sparking new ones.
The original agreement, signed in February 2022, provided for Association play from 2023 through 2026. The new agreement, approved unanimously by all participating presidents and chancellors, now adds a “look-in” provision following the initial four-year term, which was to end after the 2026 season, for an additional four years, to provideinstitutions added membership certainty and stability.
The framework also allows for the potential introduction of additional member institutions to the Association.
“After the first successful season of our institutions playing together, it became evident we had developed a special and sustaining football model with a grouping of regionally aligned institutions that share a similar commitment to the Football Championship Subdivision and that wanted to grow together,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “We are delighted that our enhanced agreement will allow us to operate as one cohesive unit, provide long-term stability for our football programs and plan for an exciting future of competitive success.”