The road to another Ohio Valley Conference championship is officially set.
Defending OVC champion Tennessee State has announced its 2026-27 conference schedule, giving the Tigers their first look at the path toward defending both their regular-season and tournament crowns. The 16-game league slate features eight home contests at the Gentry Center and eight road games as Tennessee State looks to build on one of the program’s most successful seasons in more than three decades.
The Tigers will tip off conference play on Dec. 31 with a road matchup against Southern Indiana before returning to Nashville for their OVC home opener against Morehead State on Jan. 3.
As part of the conference’s scheduling format, Tennessee State will face Morehead State, Southern Indiana, UT Martin, and Eastern Illinois twice during the regular season, while playing the remaining conference opponents once. The regular season concludes on Feb. 28 with a road contest at Lindenwood.
The schedule comes on the heels of a historic 2025-26 campaign. Under head coach Nolan Smith, Tennessee State captured both the OVC regular-season and tournament championships before earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1994. The Tigers finished the season 23-10 overall and 15-5 in conference play, punctuating their championship run with a dominant victory over Morehead State in the OVC Tournament final.
Conference play figures to be another challenge this season, with perennial contenders Morehead State, UT Martin, and Southeast Missouri once again expected to battle near the top of the standings. Tennessee State will be looking to prove last season’s championship run was the beginning of sustained success rather than a one-year breakthrough.
With another talented roster and championship expectations surrounding the program, the Tigers now know exactly what stands between them and a second consecutive OVC title.
Tennessee State 2026-27 OVC Schedule
- Dec. 31 – at Southern Indiana
- Jan. 3 – vs. Morehead State
- Jan. 8 – at Eastern Illinois
- Jan. 10 – vs. UT Martin
- Jan. 15 – at Southeast Missouri
- Jan. 17 – vs. SIUE
- Jan. 22 – at Morehead State
- Jan. 24 – vs. Southern Indiana
- Jan. 29 – at Little Rock
- Jan. 31 – vs. Eastern Illinois
- Feb. 5 – at UT Martin
- Feb. 7 – vs. Tennessee Tech
- Feb. 12 – at SIUE
- Feb. 14 – vs. Western Illinois
- Feb. 19 – vs. Lindenwood
- Feb. 21 – at Tennessee Tech
- Feb. 26 – vs. Southeast Missouri
- Feb. 28 – at Lindenwood
