Tech Athletics Director Says Ohio Valley Conference Changes Present Opportunity

Tennessee Tech Athletics Director Mark Wilson views the changes happening in the Ohio Valley Conference as an opportunity.

He said that while they come with some concern, it’s also a chance for the Ohio Valley Conference to be reimagined.

“I think that change is inevitable in any kind of business,” Wilson said. “And certainly with all the modifications that we’ve had to make going out of the pandemic we’ve all been used to change we’ve all learned to adapt to change so for me personally, it’s not a time of stress. I look at it as a time of opportunity.”

Wilson said that the biggest impact has been on the scheduling. With Belmont University announcing they would be the fourth team to leave the OVC, he said that it’s taking some time for the OVC Board of Presidents to fill the gaps in the schedule.

He said that the changes have set up conditions for an era of unsettled conferences.

“I think that we really have been and that’s been anticipated. I think it came a little bit sooner than I had anticipated, but I did think it was inevitable that a major conference realignment was going to happen again. I did not anticipate that it was going to be so active at the FCS level but that started last year with the Southland Conference and so now it continues with many conferences now.”

Wilson said that there have been no in-depth discussions about Tech making the jump to the FBS subdivision and that he doesn’t foresee that in the school’s long-term plans.