RENTWOOD, Tenn. – The field for the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Presented by United Fidelity Bank has been set.
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 6Game 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 7Game 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 8Game 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 9Game 7 – Semifinal Winners, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
All Times Central
