• OVC Championship Central | Ford Center Bag Policy | Bracket (PDF)

The field for the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championship Presented by United Fidelity Bank has been set on the final day of the regular season.

Tennessee State (21-9, 15-5) won seven of its final eight games to earn a share of the OVC regular season championship, its third overall and first since the 1994-95 season. The Tigers, under the direction of first-year head coach Nolan Smith, earned the No. 1 seed after a tiebreaker and received a double bye to the semifinals on Friday night.

After the tiebreaker, Morehead State (19-12, 15-5) earned the No. 2 seed and also received a bye to the semifinals. The Eagles earned a share of its 12th OVC regular season title and third in the past four years (2023, 2024, 2026).

After winning the regular season title last year, Southeast Missouri finished as the No. 3 seed this year. The Redhawks (19-12, 14-6) won 10 of its final 12 regular season games and will get a single bye to the OVC Quarterfinals.

UT Martin (21-10, 13-7) earned the final bye to the quarterfinals in finishing as the No. 4 seed.

The field is rounded out by No. 5 SIUE, No. 6 Lindenwood, No. 7 Little Rock and No. 8 Eastern Illinois.

This year marks the ninth-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 2032.

This event marks the 63rd 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 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.


2026 OVC Men's Basketball Championship Presented United Fidelity Bank (Ford Center - Evansville, Indiana)

First Round - Wednesday, March 4
Game 1 - #5 SIUE vs. #8 Eastern Illinois, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2 - #6 Lindenwood vs. #7 Little Rock, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 5
Game 3 - #4 UT Martin vs. Winner of Game 1, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 4 - #3 Southeast Missouri vs. Winner of Game 2, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Semifinals - Friday, March 6
Game 5 - #1 Tennessee State vs. Game 3 Winner, 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 6 - #2 Morehead State vs. Game 4 Winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Championship - Saturday, March 7
Game 7 - Semifinal Winners, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN2/Westwood One)

All Times Central