The field for the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championship Presented by United Fidelity Bank has been set on the final day of the regular season.

For only the fourth time in the 76-yard history of the league there was a three-way tie for first-place in the league standings.

Little Rock, in its second year as an OVC member, earned the No. 1 seed after finishing 14-4 and winning a three-way tiebreaker with UT Martin and Morehead State. This came one year after the Trojans failed to make the eight-team OVC Tournament field. Little Rock won nine games in a row (and 12 of 13) to end the regular season. The Trojans earned a double bye to the semifinals and open play on Friday night.

UT Martin also finished 14-4 and earn a share of the regular season crown and the No. 2 seed after the tiebreaker process. It marked the second overall regular season crown for UTM and first since 2008-09. The Skyhawks are the No. 2 seed for the first time since earning it in each 2016 and 2017. The Skyhawks won seven-straight and 11 of 12 games to close the regular season and earned a double bye to the semifinals.

Morehead State (14-4) will be the No. 3 seed and earn a single bye to the quarterfinals. The Eagles earned its second-straight and 11th overall OVC regular season title. MSU won 10 of its final 13 games of the regular season, including three-straight to cap the year. Overall the Eagles finished with 23 overall victories, the fourth-straight year they reached the 20-win plateau (a first in league history).

The final team to receive a first round bye is Western Illinois, the newest OVC member (joining in July 2023). The Leathernecks won five of six games down the stretch to cap the regular season at 13-5 and earn the No. 4 seed. WIU will open on Thursday night against the winner of the No. 5/8 contest.

The field is rounded out by No. 5 Tennessee State, No. 6 SIUE, No. 7 Eastern Illinois and No. 8 Southern Indiana.

Southern Indiana, who is reclassifying to Division I, is eligible to win the OVC Tournament Championship. Should USI win the tournament title, the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament shall be awarded to the tournament runner-up.

This year marks the seventh-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 61st 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 $110 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($14.99/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.


2024 OVC Men's Basketball Championship Presented United Fidelity Bank (Ford Center - Evansville, Indiana)

First Round - Wednesday, March 6
Game 1 - #5 Tennessee State vs. #8 Southern Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2 - #6 SIUE vs. #7 Eastern Illinois, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN+)

Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 7
Game 3 - #4 Western Illinois vs. Winner of Game 1, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 4 - #3 Morehead State vs. Winner of Game 2, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN+)

Semifinals - Friday, March 8
Game 5 - #1 Little Rock vs. Game 3 Winner, 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 6 - #2 UT Martin vs. Game 4 Winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Championship - Saturday, March 9
Game 7 - Semifinal Winners, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2/Westwood One)

All Times Central

 

WOMEN'S OVC TOURNAMENT STORY
 

The field for the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Championship Presented by United Fidelity Bank has been set on the final day of the regular season.

Southern Indiana claimed the OVC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed after finishing 17-1. It is the first title and tournament appearance for the second-year member, transitioning from NCAA DII. The Screaming Eagles finished 22-6 overall and earned a double bye to the semifinals, opening play on Friday afternoon. At the DII level, USI earned six Great Lakes Valley Conference championships and 12 NCAA Tournament berths.
 
Southern Indiana, who is reclassifying to Division I, is eligible to win the OVC Tournament Championship. Should USI win the tournament title, the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament shall be awarded to the tournament runner-up.

Little Rock is the No. 2 seed after finishing 11-7 in OVC action. The Trojans finished in a tie with UT Martin and Eastern Illinois, but earned the higher seed due to tiebreakers, securing a double bye to the semifinals on Friday afternoon. Little Rock grabbed one of the top two seeds in each of its two-year existence in the conference. Last year, the Trojans entered as the No. 1 seed, but fell to Tennessee Tech in the championship game, 54-46.

UT Martin (11-7) will be the No. 3 seed and earn a single bye to the quarterfinals, where they will open play on Thursday afternoon. The Skyhawks have clinched a spot in the OVC tournament for 15th consecutive season. The No. 4 seed, also earning a single bye, is Eastern Illinois (11-7). The Panthers are looking to reach the championship game for the first time since 2010 and their first OVC tournament title.

The field is rounded out by No. 5 Morehead State, No. 6 Tennessee Tech, No. 7 Western Illinois and No. 8 Tennessee State.

This year marks the seventh-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 43rd time the OVC Women's Basketball Postseason Championship has been held; the OVC will provide the first entrant to the 2024 NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament.

All games 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 $110 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($14.99/month). ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices).

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.


2024 OVC Women's Basketball Championship Presented United Fidelity Bank (Ford Center - Evansville, Indiana)

First Round - Wednesday, March 6
Game 1 - #5 Morehead State vs. #8 Tennessee State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2 - #6 Tennessee Tech vs. #7 Western Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 7
Game 3 - #4 Eastern Illinois vs. Winner of Game 1, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 4 - #3 UT Martin vs. Winner of Game 2, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Semifinals - Friday, March 8
Game 5 - #1 Southern Indiana vs. Game 3 Winner, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 6 - #2 Little Rock vs. Game 4 Winner, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Championship - Saturday, March 9
Game 7 - Semifinal Winners, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)

All Times Central