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The Big South Conference's 4 members and the Ohio Valley Conference's 6 members will mark the first year of a joint association of the league’s football member institutions in 2023.
Bryant and Campbell left the Big South to join the CAA. Murray State left the Ohio Valley to join the MVFC
The 10 combined teams in 2023 will play a six-game conference schedule, as prior scheduling commitments prevented opportunities for additional Big South-OVC games in the first year.
More details of the association’s administration, including tiebreakers for the automatic bid to the playoffs, will be announced at a later date.
Ten FCS players were taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, conducted April 27-29. One of those was wide receiver Colton Dowell of Tennessee-Martin who was selected in the 7th round with the 228th pick by the home state Tennessee Titans. As of today, the Titans have the 5th-worst Super Bowl odds out of the 32 NFL teams. Tennessee was 7-10 a year as the team finished its its NFL season on a 7-game losing streak after a 7-3 start.
One of the the four Big South teams has a new head coach since the start of the 2022 season.
Charleston Southern fired Autry Denson on November 14, the day after completing a 2-8 season. He was 14-22 in 4 seasons, including 11-11 in conference play. On November 30, the school announced it had hired D-2 Albany State (Ga.) head coach Gabe Giardina as Denson's successor. Giardina was 37-17 in 5 seasons with the Rams, including a 2021 SIAC Championship and an NCAA Division II playoff appearance.
Here is the school membership for 2023 (BS=Big South; OVC=Ohio Valley Conference):
Bryant (BS) - The Bulldogs joined the Big South as an associate member in 2022 after previously competing in the Northeast Conference. Most of its sports programs compete in the America East Conference, but the men's and women's golf and tennis teams compete in the Southland while women's bowling is in the D2 East Coast Conference.
Charleston Southern (BS) - The Buccaneers have been a member of the Big South since 1983.
Eastern Illinois (OVC) - The Panthers have been a member of the OVC since 1996
Gardner-Webb (BS) - The Runnin' Bulldogs have been a member of the Big South since 2008. Wrestling competes in the Southern Conference. Swimming & diving are in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) which only runs competition in those two sports, plus beach volleyball.
Lindenwood (OVC) - The private school in St. Charles, Missouri is reportedly the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River, beginning in 1832 as the Lindenwood School for Girls. The Lions, and Lady Lions, compete in the OVC in most sports after joining in 2022.
Robert Morris (BS) - The Colonials joined the Big South as an associate member for football in 2020. Most programs compete in the Horizon League, but the school also has membership in the ASUN for men's lacrosse, the MAC for women's lacrosse, the ACHA in hockey and MAAC in women's rowing.
Southeast Missouri State (OVC) - The SEMO Redhawks joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 1991 and competes in all sports in this league, except for women's gymnastics which is a member of the Midwest Independents.
Tennessee State (OVC) - The Tigers and Lady Tigers joined the OVC in 1996.
Tennessee Tech (OVC) - The Golden Eagles joined the OVC in 1949, the year after it was founded in 1948.
UT-Martin (OVC) - The Skyhawks became OVC members in 1992. The school has a rodeo tam in the NIRA and an equestrian team in the ECAC.
Lindenwood is ineligible for the FCS playoffs but is eligible for the conference title.
BRYANT
8/31 at UNLV
9/9 LIU
9/16 Brown
9/23 at Princeton
9/30 at Rhode Island
10/14 Robert Morris*
10/21 at Eastern Illinois*
10/28 at Charleston Southern*
11/4 Gardner-Webb*
11/11 at Lindenwood*
11/18 Southeast Missouri*
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
8/31 North Greenville (D2)
9/9 at Clemson
9/16 William & Mary
9/23 at Western Carolina
9/30 Kennesaw State
10/14 Lindenwood*
10/21 at UT Martin*
10/28 Bryant*
11/4 Tennessee State*
11/11 at Robert Morris*
11/18 at Gardner-Webb*
EASTERN ILLINOIS
8/31 at Indiana State
9/9 at Bowling Green
9/16 Illinois State
9/23 McNeese
9/30 at Northwestern State
10/7 UT Martin*
10/14 at Southeast Missouri*
10/21 Bryant*
11/4 at Lindenwood*
11/11 Tennessee State*
11/18 at Robert Morris*
GARDNER-WEBB
9/2 at Appalachian State
9/9 Elon
9/16 at Tennessee State*
9/23 at East Carolina
10/7 Robert Morris*
10/14 at Austin Peay
10/21 Eastern Kentucky
10/28 UT Martin*
11/04 at Bryant*
11/11 at Tennessee Tech*
11/18 Charleston Southern*
LINDENWOOD
8/31 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (D3)
9/9 at Southeast Missouri
9/16 at Western Illinois
9/23 at Illinois State
9/30 Austin Peay
10/7 Tennessee Tech
10/14 at Charleston Southern
10/28 at Tennessee State
11/4 Eastern Illinois
11/11 Bryant
ROBERT MORRIS
9/2 at Air Force
9/9 Saint Francis, PA
9/16 at Youngstown State
9/23 Virginia-Lynchburg (D2)
9/30 Howard
10/7 at Gardner-Webb*
10/14 at Bryant*
10/28 Tennessee Tech*
11/4 at Southeast Missouri*
11/11 Charleston Southern*
11/18 Eastern Illinois*
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
9/2 at Kansas State
9/9 Lindenwood*
9/16 Southern Illinois
9/23 at Eastern Kentucky
10/7at Central Arkansas
10/14 Eastern Illinois*
10/21 at Tennessee Tech*
10/28 at Nicholls
11/4 Robert Morris*
11/11 at UT Martin*
11/18 at Bryant*
TENNESSEE STATE
9/2 at Notre Dame
9/9 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Memphis)
9/16 Gardner-Webb*
9/30 at UT Martin*
10/7 at Kennesaw State
10/14 Norfolk State
10/21 Lincoln, CA (D2)
10/28 Lindenwood*
11/4 at Charleston Southern*
11/11 at Eastern Illinois*
11/18 Tennessee Tech*
TENNESSEE TECH
8/31 at Furman
9/9 at New Mexico
9/16 North Alabama
9/23 Kennesaw State
10/7 at Lindenwood*
10/14 at SC State
10/21 Southeast Missouri*
10/28 at Robert Morris*
11/4 UT Martin*
11/11 Gardner-Webb*
11/18 at Tennessee State*
UT-MARTIN
9/2 at Georgia
9/9 Missouri State
9/16 Houston Christian
9/23 at North Alabama
9/30 Tennessee State*
10/7 at Eastern Illinois*
10/21 Charleston Southern*
10/28 at Gardner-Webb*
11/4 at Tennessee Tech*
11/11 Southeast Missouri*
11/18 at Samford