Conference chaos is not a part of the OVC

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  While its mid-major neighbors in the Southern Conference and Colonial Athletic Association have seen teams come and go, especially in the past year or so, the Ohio Valley Conference has enjoyed a period of stability.

The OVC’s only movement in the past five years has been Samford’s departure in 2008 to the SoCon – which came well before the present conference realignment chaos – and the addition of Belmont in 2012, bringing the OVC up to 12 members.

You don’t want to say that there’s a magic plan, because I don’t know that there is,” OVC commissioner Beth DeBauche said of the league’s stability. “We have a similarity in institutional mission, similarity in athletics budgets, similarity in geography – and all of that helps us. At the same time, we’ve also had good fortune.

“Given the volatility in Division I, membership changes can happen in any conference, and we’re aware of that as well.”

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