Cookeville, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech is changing to the South Conference on July 1, 2026, and leaving the Ohio Valley Conference, where the Golden Eagles had been members since 1949.
“This historical movement changes the trajectory of our athletic aspirations and makes a statement to our campus and our community that Tech Sports will be part of a vibrant conference with new geographical rivalries,” said the director of Athletics Casey Fox on Wednesday in a statement.
That will make the South Conference a League of 11 teams when Tennessee Tech joins the state of East of Tennessee, Chattanogo, The Citadel, Furman, Mercer, North-Greensboro Carolina, Samford, Virginia Military Military Institute, Western Carolina and Wofford.
Tennessee Tech will have 14 of his 15 sports competing at the South Conference. Beach volleyball is not a conference sport.
The Golden Eagles are the preseason team to win the title of Ohio Valley Conference-Big South after going 7-5 in general and 6-2 in the conference game last season. Tennessee Tech occupies the 22nd position in the top 25 of the soccer championship series.
“Technology shows that the winning and academic performance goes hand in hand, the standard of the South Conference,” said the Southern Conference Commissioner Michael Cross.
The OVC commissioner, Beth Debouche, said the league has adapted to the always changing panorama of the university for 80 years.
“Our collective institutions and sports programs remain committed to the conference, with each other and our football association, and we will continue to aggressively seek additional membership,” he said in a statement.
