The OVC enters the 2026 football season with a new look and plenty of intrigue as teams compete for the conference title and an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
UT Martin begins the year as the preseason favorite after earning six first-place votes, while Southeast Missouri and Lindenwood are expected to be close challengers.
- Sign Up For FloCollege To Watch D2 Football All Season Long
- 5 Biggest Changes Coming To D2 Football In 2026
- Way-Too-Early D2 Football Rankings For 2026 Season
Gardner-Webb, now competing in the league, adds another contender to the race, while Charleston Southern and Western Illinois hope to climb the standings.
With several programs capable of making a postseason push, the OVC should feature competitive football from opening kickoff through the regular-season finale. Here's five things to know about the OVC in 2026.
The Conference Rebrands Back To The OVC
The Ohio Valley Conference announced in June the conference would rebrand from the OVC-Big South Conference, back to the OVC.
The three year partnership between the OVC and Big South is still alive, with two universities from the Big South still a member of the football conference but under the OVC banner.
For the first time in multiple years, the eight schools in the conference are unified under one name, the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Throne Is Vacant In The OVC
Tennessee Tech was the sole champion or co-champion of the OVC-Big South Conference in two consecutive seasons, but a move to the Southern Conference in 2026 has left the top spot open for the taking.
UT Martin is favored to take their place, with a second-place finish in the conference in 2025 and voted as the favorite to win the conference in the preseason poll. SEMO and Lindenwood also received first-place votes, reflecting the talent throughout the conference.
So who can take the mantle of the new top program and punch their ticket to the 2026 FCS Playoffs?
OVC preseason poll
- UT Martin (6 first-place votes) — 47 points
- Southeast Missouri (1 first-place vote) — 38 points
- Lindenwood (1 first-place vote) — 37 points
- Gardner-Webb — 30 points
- Charleston Southern — 26 points
- Western Illinois — 23 points
- Eastern Illinois — 14 points
- Tennessee State — 9 points
OVC OPOY Candidates
- Cason Carswell, QB Western Illinois
- Carson Grescock, RB Gardner Webb
- Jalen Smith, WR Lindenwood
DPOY Candidates
- Steve Zayachowsky, LB Charleston Southern
- Josiah Harris, DB, Gardner-Webb
- Ja’Wuan Nickson, LB Eastern Illinois
Who Won The Each Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?
- Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
- Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
- Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
- Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14
Archived Footage On FloCollege
Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege
FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long.
Don't miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games.
Join The College Football Conversation
- Follow us on Twitter @FloCollegeFB
- Follow us on Instagram @FloCollegeFootball
- Follow us on TikTok @FloCollegeFootball
- Watch us on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook