BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The field for the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Championship Presented by United Fidelity Bank has been set on the final day of the regular season.
Southeast Missouri finished the OVC season 15-5 to win its second OVC Championship and first since 1999-00 (and first outright). Before falling in the season finale, the Redhawks had put together a stretch of 10-straight wins, which was the longest winning streak of its Division I history. The Redhawks, who won the OVC Tournament two years ago (2023) but failed to make the field a season ago, earned a double bye to the semifinals and open play on Friday night.
SIUE topped Little Rock on the final day of the regular season to finish OVC play 13-7 and earn the other double bye to the semifinals as the No. 2 seed. It is the highest seed for the Cougars who were seeded No. 6 each of the past two years. The 13 OVC wins are the most for the Cougars (who started playing a league schedule in 2011-12).
Tennessee State started OVC play started 1-4 (and eventually 2-5) but finished by winning 10 of its final 13 games to finish at 12-8 and earn the No.3 seed. It is the highest seed for the Tigers since being No. 2 in 2012. As the No. 3 seed the squad has earned a bye to the quarterfinals on Thursday. TSU has won at least one game in the Tournament in three of its last four appearances.
Little Rock, the No. 1 seed a year ago, dropped to the fourth seed after a loss on the final day of the regular season. As the No. 4 seed they earned a single bye to the quarterfinals. The Trojans advanced to the OVC Championship game a season ago, in what was the program’s first OVC Tournament appearance.
The field is rounded out by No. 5 Tennessee Tech, No. 6 Lindenwood, No. 7 Morehead State and No. 8 UT Martin.
Lindenwood, who is reclassifying to Division I, is eligible to win the OVC Tournament Championship. Should the Lions win the tournament title, the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament shall be awarded to the tournament runner-up.
This year marks the eighth-straight year the event has been held at the Ford Center, which opened in 2011 and is located in the core of Evansville’s downtown district. The event is scheduled to be at the venue through at least 2026.
This event marks the 62nd time the OVC Men’s Basketball Championship has been held; it is the fourth-oldest Division I basketball championship tournament.
This year’s first round can be seen on ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $10.99 a month (or $119.99 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($16.99/month). ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices).
The semifinals will air live on ESPNU while the championship game will air live on ESPN2 and live nationally on the Westwood One Radio Network.
As part of an ongoing commitment to safety and security, aligning with the best practices at major entertainment and athletics venues, there is a bag policy in effect at the Ford Center. Fans are encouraged to visit www.OVCSports.com/BagPolicy for complete details on the policy.
2025 OVC Men’s Basketball Championship Presented United Fidelity Bank (Ford Center – Evansville, Indiana)
First Round – Wednesday, March 5
Game 1 – #5 Tennessee Tech vs. #8 UT Martin, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2 – #6 Lindenwood vs. #7 Morehead State, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 6
Game 3 – #4 Little Rock vs. Winner of Game 1, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 4 – #3 Tennessee State vs. Winner of Game 2, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Semifinals – Friday, March 7
Game 5 – #1 Southeast Missouri vs. Game 3 Winner, 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 6 – #2 SIUE vs. Game 4 Winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Championship – Saturday, March 8
Game 7 – Semifinal Winners, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN2/Westwood One)