Murray State has informed the Ohio Valley Conference that they will be leaving the conference as a full member, effective June 30, 2022.
The Racers are headed to the Missouri Valley Conference, where they will become official members on July 1, 2022.
Belmont announced their move from the OVC to the MVC last September.
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The Ohio Valley Conference has now lost five teams to other conferences in the past two years: Belmont, Murray State, Eastern Kentucky University, Austin Peay and Jacksonville State.
Here is a statement from OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche on membership transition:
“Murray State has informed the OVC office that they will be leaving the conference as a full member, effective June 30, 2022.
While a conference member, the OVC is committed to providing Racer student-athletes with exemplary championships experiences. Additionally, moving forward, we look to continue our mutually beneficial relationship through affiliate memberships in some sports.
The OVC has a rich history, and memories and friendships developed over the years are not forgotten, yet the focus of our unified membership is on the OVC’s future.
As all of us have seen this past year, the landscape of Intercollegiate athletics continues to change, and the Ohio Valley Conference has not stood still. In the last two months, the OVC has added a member, has created a new partnership, and has continued its focus on membership growth.
• We are proud to welcome the University of Little Rock to the conference, which accepted our invitation last month to become a member, beginning July 1, 2022. This adds a new state to the OVC map and another outstanding university to the conference.
• The OVC completed a schedule partnership for football with the Southland Conference for 2022, providing a broader platform for the schools in both conferences to enhance their competitive schedule and the development of their student-athletes.
• We are talking to institutions that share our philosophy and want to prosper in today’s intercollegiate athletic environment by being part of the OVC.
That philosophy remains a fundamental one, tied to the basics that underpin the college experience: the benefits of highly competitive athletics and the overall development of our student-athletes, with distinctive opportunities for them to succeed in their sports and in life, and with leadership opportunities across the academic, service, and social justice spectrums.
We look forward to the continued accomplishments of the OVC’s member schools and their student-athletes, as we work our membership plan to add schools that, like the members of the OVC, are committed to our principles and our goals.”
