AUSTIN PEAY EAST TENNESSEE EASTERN KENTUCKY MIDDLE TENNESSEE <> .. IO 50¢ C <> ~ ~ F: ::.EC. F: ~ C F: MOREHEAD STATE MURRAY STATE TENNESSEE TECH WESTERN KENTUCKY l'IEG US PAT OFF OVC LOCATIONS AT MURRAY KENTUCKY AT CLARKSVILLE, TENN. U.S. Highway 641 U.S. Highway 41 A MR. FRANK LANCASTER-Innkeeper MR. PAUL MARSEGLIA-Innkeeper AT BOWLING GREEN, KY. AT COOKEVILLE, TENN. U.S. Highway 31 W By-Pass Interstate 40 at Tenn. Highway 42 MR. JOHN ANDERSON-Innkeeper MR. BOB HILL-innkeeper MOREHEAD STATE COLLEGE. Morehead, Kentucky EASTERN KENTUCKY STATE COLLEGE -i( Richmond, Kentucky -i( WESTERN KENTUCKY STATE COLLEGE Bowling Green, Kentu cky MURRAY STATE COLLEGE Murray, Kentucky * i( AUSTIN PEAY STATE COLLEGE Clarksville, Tennessee * EAST TENNESSEE *STATE UNIVERSITY J ohnson City, Ten nessee MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY * TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Murfreesboro, Tennessee Cookeville, Tennessee THE OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE N 1941, foresighted men had visions of an Ohio Valley state colleges. Middle Tennessee State University joined I Conference. Sports writers speculated about the im­ tlie rolJs in 1952, East Tennessee State University in pending division of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic 1957 and Austin Peay State College in the spring of 1962. Conference. Virtually all agreed it was just a matter of They replaced Louisville, which becan1e an independent time until tl1e division took place and a new athletic con­ in 1949, and Marshall and E vansville, which departed in ference was fo rmed. 1952. Then tl1e Japanese bombed Pearl H arbor and America The four Tennessee members came up from ilie nmks was plunged into World vVar II. of ilie Volunteer State Athletic Conference so the O.V.C., as presently constituted, represents a coalition of the Seven years later, after the hostilities lrnd ceased, a larger colleges of tlie V.S.A.C. and K.I.A.C. Natural pre-war dream became a post-war reality. The "Big Five" rivalries aboU11d in the closely-knit O.V.C. and that factor of the K.I.A.C. withdxew to fonn the Ohio Valley Con­ has helped insure tl1e loop's healthy growili. ference. Growtli has been the key word tliroughout tlie con­ Making the move were Western Kentucky State Col­ ference's colorful history. lege, Eastern Kentucky State College, Murray State Col­ In 1955, tl1e National Collegiate Atl1letic Association lege, Morehead State College and tl1e University of formally recognized ilie O.V.C. as · a major basketball Louisville. They were joined by Evansville College and, conference, iliereby assuring the O.V.C. of representation shortly tliereafter, by T ennessee Tech and Marshall each year in tlie post-season N.C.A.A. Tournament. This College. was high nibute, indeed, as tl1e O.V.C. was only tlie sec­ Post-war growth of the state-conb·olled colleges served ond six-team conference to win tl1e N.C.A.A.'s major to hasten tl1eir departure from ilie K.I.A.C., which was a status. Prior to 1955, only three O.V.C. members- Western league of municipally and chmch-supported institutions. Kentud .;1, Eastern Kentucky and Murray-had been ranked as basketball majors. Purpose of the 0 .V.C., as set fortli in its constitution, is "to regulate, control, and promote all the recognized 0 .V.C. football today stands at an all-time peak-in branch:s of intercollegiate athletics in institutions repre­ caliber of play, prestige and fan interest. Since the 0.V.C.'s sented. inception, no less than five of tlie present-day members have sent football teams to post-season bowl games. Bowl Through a gradual process, the Ohio ValJey Conference bids have become the rule railier tlrnn the exception; an was to become a league of Kentucky and Tennessee O.V.C. eleven was a participant in ilie Tangerine Bowl classic at Orlando, Fla., for three consecutive years ( 1959- member Executive Committee, which was to interpret 61 ), and again in 1963. Middle T ennessee State University and enforce tile constitution and by-laws. is the site of the Grantland Rice Bowl-NCAA Mideast Continued growth of the Ohio Valley Conference re­ College Division. Football championship. Eighty-nine sulted in the employment of a Director of Officials to NCAA teams in a nine state area fight for the right to assign officials for athletic contests, supervise tlleir work, play in this game. The Raiders were invited in 1964. compile grades for officials, maintain current lists of Under conference rules, each· school is allowed 40 approved officials and conduct clinics regularly. Bernie scholarships for football, 20 for basketball. The league has Shively, University of Kentucky athletic director, was set up a realistic grant-in-aid program for its spring named to assign officials on a part-time basis in 1950 sports-track, baseball, golf and tennis. Three years ago but the press of his other duties caused him to relinguish the conference also set up championship competition in the post in 1957. cross-country. W . E. Porter, Nashville coach and official, was then Through it all, the conference's leaders have exercised named Director of Officials and Publicity but tile confer­ great care to keep intercollegiate athletics in its proper ence decided to split tile job in 1959. At that time, an perspective insofar as the o,verall educational program is O.V;C· Spo1ts Information Center was established in concerned. Few conferences have developed as many Louis0]le with Dave Whitaker, sports writer for the coaches in the past 18 ye,ars as has the O.V.C. Courier-Journal, as its director. In 1960, Porter resigned as Director of Officials ,md Shortly after the league was born, it was placed on was succeeded by another Nashville coach and official, firm footing when the presidents of the member colleges Joe Shapiro, then president of the O.V.C. Football Officials assumed complete control of tl1e conference's affairs. The Association. president of ea.ch member institution is the voting delegate for his college, but he may delegate a representative to In 1963, the league took another step forward by ap­ cast his ballot, if he desires. Each member institution has pointing Arthur L. Guepe, former football coach and one vote at conference business meetings, which are held athletic director at Virginia and Vanderbilt Universities, in conformity with the O.V.C.'s constitution and by-laws. as the OVC's first fulJ-time commissioner. Presidency of the conference rotates each year among the The Commissioner is charged with the interpretation member colleges. and enforcement of all Conference regulations, as well In 1960, presidents of tile member colleges moved to as the rules of eligibility. He also perfo1ms all previous expand tile tlli-ee-man judiciary committee to a seven- duties assigned to the Sports Information Director and Director of Officials. As official representatives of the Presidents of the member institutions, it is now the duty of tile Executive Committee to detennine and direct the policy of the Conference. The proximity of member schools, old rivalries that have grown in intensity with the years, and an amazing top-to-bottom balance of temn sb'ength has made athletic competition in the OVC exb·emely keen. Feelings run high on occasion but OVC officials work constantly to keep untoward incidents at a minimum. A case in point was the "summit meeting" of the college's presidents in 1960. Out of this meeting grew tile OVC's Code of Ethics, the architect of which was Dr. Everett Derryberry, president of Tennessee Tech. The Code of Etllics concluded: "Member institutions of the Ohio Valley Conference regard tile athletic program as a part of tl1e educational process and as a pmt of tlleir assigned responsibility. Such progrmns can be justified only if they have as their objective the increasing of a college's ability to render ARTHUR L. GUEPE services for which it was founded. Thus, it is the college's responsibility to exercise conb·ol of the athletic p rogrmn Commissioner, OVC and to keep it within the bounds of an educational activity." 2 OVC BASKETBALL RECORDS Best free throw pct.- .801, Charlie Osborn, Western, 1959-61 Most rebounds-1,108, Jimmy Hagan, Tenn. Tech, 1956-58 Individual-Single Game Best rebound average-16.1, Jim Jennings, Murray, Most points-55, Clem Haskins, Western vs Middle Tenn., 1961-63 1964-65 Most field goals-25, Clem Haskins, Western vs Middle Team-Single Game Tenn., 1964-65 Most points (one team)-134, Western vs Middle Tenn., Most field goals att.-44, Darel Carrier, Western vs More­ 1964-65 head, 1963-64 Most points (both teams)-234, Tenn. Tech (123) vs Best field goal pct. (minimum 10)-.928, (13 of 14), Ga. Sou them ( 111 ) , 1964-65 Steve Hays, Tenn. Tech vs Chatt., 1964-65 Most field goals-56, Western vs Middle Tenn., 1964-65 Most free throws- 24, Kenny Sidwell, Tenn. Tech vs Most field goals att.-108, Tenn. Tech vs MaryviJle Eastern, 1954-55 1952-53 ' Most free throws att.-32, Buddy Howell, Tenn. Tech vs Murray, 1953-54 Best field goal pct.-60.4% (29 of 48), Western vs Louis­ ville, 1960-61 Best free throw pct. (minimum 12)-.941, (16 of 17), Lynn Cole, Western vs Eastern, 1954-55 Most free throws made-47, Western vs Tenn. Tech, 1962-63 Most consecutive free throws made-16 Kenny Sidwell Tenn. Tech vs Morehead, 1954-55 ' ' Most free th.rows att.- 55, Western vs Tenn. Tech, 1962-63 Most rebounds-38, Tommy Woods, East Tenn. vs Middle Best free throw pct.-.897, (26 of 29), Western vs Lamar Tenn., 1964-65 Tech, 1960-61 Most rebounds-83, Western vs Tampa, 1963-64 Individual-Season Team-Season Most points-829, Tom Marshall, Western, 1953-54 Best record (all games)-W-29