Tennessee Tech will leave the Ohio Valley Conference and join the Southern Conference in 2026.
The school announced Wednesday it has been accepted as the 11th member of the Southern Conference, joining Chattanooga and East Tennessee State. Tech Athletic Director Casey Fox said President Phil Oldham has been working on this move for at least three years.
“I think the biggest thing for us was just looking at the geography and the regional rivalries that could exist with the so-called Socon,” Fox said. “Just as things have changed over the years in the OVC, felt like it was shifting more towards the Midwest, and we were losing that Southern flavor, so to speak. The Socon brings us back into some of the older rivalries that I know that were historic with Chattanooga and East Tennessee, Sanford. Those really were the deciding factors for us.”
Fox said the more compact Southern Conference will also help the school with travel expenses with the bulk of the schools in North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee.
During his four-week tenure as Athletic Director, Fox said he had been asked repeatedly about renewing rivalries that has gone away as the OVC membership changed. MTSU left the conference in 2000. Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State changed conferences in 2020. Austin Peay, Belmont and Murray State departed a year later.
The move marks the end of the university’s 76-year tenure in the OVC. Fox said it will be difficult to leave behind UT Martin and Tennessee State.
“One hundred percent, this was not an easy decision by any means,” Fox said. “It was hard to leave a conference you’ve been in since the 1940s. I mean, that’s a long time. This was not a decision that was taken lightly. This was not a decision that was rash by any means.”
Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee Tech will officially join the Southern Conference on July 1, 2026. Tennessee Tech will participate as an OVC member throughout the entirety of the 2025-2026 season. Fox said Tech will owe a penalty to the OVC as well as a fee to join the Southern Conference.
“I think the biggest thing is it’s going to push us to invest into our programs,” Fox said. “We’re going to have to step up our game and look and really push for more revenue sources so we can reinvest. Obviously, the new stadium coming online next year, the new west side of the stadium is going to help. We need to push our programs, especially the revenue-producing programs, football, men’s-women’s basketball, to excel, to succeed. We need to invest into those programs, and then in turn, as we get more, invest back into the others.”
The Southern Conference spotlighted Tech’s growing research presence as a boost to the conference after Wednesday’s unanimous vote by conference leaders.
“Tech strengthens our geographic footprint, reinforces our Southern identity, and enters at a time of tremendous regional growth,” Southern Conference Commissioner Dr. Michael Cross said. “This move builds rivalries, solves scheduling challenges, maximizes budgets, and enhances the student-athlete experience with competitive play and reasonable travel. Tech’s leadership shares the SoCon’s collaborative, forward-thinking vision, and their ongoing facility investments show a commitment to thriving in a changing athletics landscape. With Tennessee Tech, the SoCon delivers on its promise: championship-level FCS competition, academic excellence, and an unmatched student-athlete experience.
The Southern Conference is the fifth-oldest NCAA Division I athletic conference.
