National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Feb 25, 2010 9:34:40 AM

Ohio Valley men's and women's basketball teams will gather at a single site for the league tournaments beginning in 2011. The format of the tournaments will also change.

Previously, first-round games were played on campus sites with semifinals and finals held in Nashville. The tournaments will be played over four days at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

The bracket will shift from a traditional pairing of high and low seeds in the first round to a format that rewards top regular-season teams with byes into the quarterfinals and semifinals. Also beginning in 2011, the first round of the men's and the women's tournaments will pair the fifth seed against the eighth seed and the sixth seed against the seventh seed. The winners advance to face the third and fourth seeds in the quarterfinals, and the quarterfinal winners face the top two seeds in the semifinals.

"This is a positive development for our conference and will truly enhance the championship experience for our student-athletes," said Commissioner Beth DeBauche. "Having 16 teams come to Nashville gives us the opportunity to showcase what our student-athletes and our member institutions are all about."

The Ohio Valley tournaments took place in Nashville 16 of the last 17 years, including the 2010 event at the Sommet Center.

"Having a permanent home to call our own and an expanded format makes Nashville a destination location for our fans," said DeBauche. "The former structure limited our fan base's ability to plan ahead, but now our fans will be able to plan well in advance and make a trip to Municipal Auditorium for the OVC Basketball Championship an annual part of the basketball season."