Gray Media Brings Ohio Valley Conference Basketball to Free Over-the-Air Television Viewers

ATLANTA, Nov. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media is proud to announce an agreement with the Ohio Valley Conference (“OVC”) to broadcast OVC basketball across 20 Gray markets in five states. As part of the Conference’s multi-year contract with ESPN, the entire package will also be simulcast live nationally on ESPN+ and available through the ESPN app without digital blackouts.  

In particular, Gray’s Tennessee Valley Sports & Entertainment Network looks forward to bringing three Tennessee institutions – Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, and University of Tennessee – Martin, to Tennessee viewers across the state. The Tennessee Valley Sports & Entertainment Network broadcasts over-the-air in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gray’s WMC+ in Memphis also participates in the network. The OVC is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee (just south of Nashville).

In addition, Gray’s Matrix Midwest in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, will serve hometown viewers of OVC’s Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, and Lindenwood University, while Gray’s Illinois stations in Peoria, Quincy, and Rockford are excited to serve fans of OVC’s Western Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University. Gray’s Indiana stations in Evansville, Ft. Wayne, and South Bend will focus on University of Southern Indiana, and Gray will also bring the package to fans of Morehead State University in Lexington, KY. Gray anticipates engaging a third-party broadcast partner in Little Rock for the University of Arkansas – Little Rock.

The tentative schedule of available games is below. Not all markets will carry all games. Check local listings for times and channels.

• Thursday, Dec. 18:  Western Illinois at Lindenwood 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)
• Thursday, Jan. 1:  Eastern Illinois at SEMO 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)
• Thursday, Jan. 8:  UT Martin at Morehead State 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)
• Saturday, Jan. 17:  SIUE at SEMO 3:45 p.m. CT (Men’s)
• Saturday, Jan. 24:  Western Illinois at USI 1:00 p.m. CT (Women’s)
• Saturday, Jan. 24:  Tennessee Tech at SIUE 4:00 p.m. CT (Men’s)
• Thursday, Jan. 29:  Little Rock at Tennessee State 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)
• Saturday, Jan. 31:  UT Martin at Western Illinois 3:30 p.m. CT (Men’s)
• Thursday, Feb. 5:  USI at UT Martin 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)
• Thursday, Feb. 12:  Tennessee State at USI 8:00 p.m. CT (Men’s)
• Thursday, Feb. 19:  Morehead State at Eastern Illinois 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)
• Thursday, Feb. 26:  Eastern Illinois at Lindenwood 5:00 p.m. CT (Doubleheader)

Thomas Garson of Excelsior Sports and Entertainment represented OVC in this new arrangement.