OVC-Big South form FCS football pseudo conference

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Thanks for sharing this. This is a good merger for both leagues. Says it will be at least a 4 year merger which is also cool. As many know I follow EIU, so the football thing is something I've been following with great interest.

As of today this will be the future football conference assuming neither conference loses or gains anymore members.

Eastern Illinois- OVC
TN Martin- OVC
TN State- OVC
TN Tech- OVC
SE MO State- OVC
Campbell (NC)- Big South
Charleston Southern (SC)- Big South
Gardner Webb (NC)- Big South
Robert Morris (PA)- Big South FB Only
*RMU is in the Horizon League for everything else.

Departing members as of today with destination that will be gone by merger. As you can see both leagues have gotten hit hard by realignment. The ASUN unfortuantely has caused this mess and with JSU going FBS they are short members now too (at 5, need 6 minimum) and I imagine will try to steal someone from this agreement. ASUN has a rule that they won't poach a conference below AQ status.

EKU and JSU already left OVC for ASUN
Austin Peay- OVC to ASUN
Murray State- OVC to MVFC
North Alabama- BSC FB Only to ASUN
Kennesaw St- BSC FB Only to ASUN
Presbyterian- BSC to Pioneer FB Only
Hampton- BSC to CAA
NC A&T- BSC to CAA
*UNA and KSU are full ASUN members that competed in BSC as FB Only.
*Presbyterian is dropping to non-scholarship and will remain in BSC for all other sports.

OVC News / Rumors I've been keeping an eye on.
1) TSU FB Coach Eddie George recently said in an interview that the OVC is a dying conference and that TSU is keeping their eyes open. TSU has always wanted to be in a playoff conference and has turned down the SWAC in the past.
2) Some posters on CSNBBS Forum say that the ASUN has shown interest in TTU and have been saying it for months. Not sure if that interest is mutual. Did hear similar things about APSU for quite a while and that did happen.
3) A source says that Lindenwood, who sponsors football at the D2 level, may be making a move to the OVC soon.
4) WIU is supposedly interested in an OVC move if it DOES NOT include football.
5) OVC has been in talks with Grand Valley State and UINDY who are both D2 with football programs.
6) Ark Pine Bluff showed interest after the Little Rock addition, but I haven't heard anything since. Have no idea if there is still interest there.
 
And now it's official. We were going to play them Fall 2020 before we cancelled our season which I had issue with since they wouldn't have counted as a win when it comes to the FCS Playoff Committee. Now we can play them every year as far as I'm concerned.

Lindenwood will have OVC football which means that the OVC is now back up to 10 teams total with 6 of those being football schools. Plus there's the 4 Big South schools they're merging with for football in 2023 for at least 4 years.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1496537840729169927
 
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