OVC Insider presented by Taco Bell - Episode 11

Episode No. 11 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week we look at the recent NCAA Cross Country Regionals and look forward to the OVC Volleyball Championship among other topics.

A Tribute to Eastern Illinois Football Coach Bob Spoo

EIU football coach Bob Spoo will coach his final football game on Saturday. Below you can listen to what other OVC coaches had to say about him, and hear from Coach Spoo as he looks back on his career.

OVC Insider presented by Taco Bell - Episode 10

Episode No. 10 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week we look at the recent OVC Soccer Championship and the final home game of EIU football coach Bob Spoo among other topics.

Basketball Media Day Videos: UT Martin

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Tennessee Tech

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Tennessee State

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: SIUE

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Southeast Missouri

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

OVC Insider presented by Taco Bell - Episode 9

Episode No. 9 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week we look at the recent Cross Country Championships and look ahead to the OVC Soccer Championship.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Murray State

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Morehead State

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

OVC Soccer Championship Video

The OVC Soccer Championship will be held in Cape Girardeau, Mo. on campus of Southeast Missouri State University this weekend. Take a look at our video preview.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Jacksonville State

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Eastern Kentucky

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Eastern Illinois

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Players - Part 6 (Who is your biggest rival?)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the student-athletes in attendance to ask them some questions. Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Who is your biggest rival?"

OVC Insider - Episode 8

Episode No. 8 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week the episode features a look at the recent OVC Basketball Media Day.

Basketball Media Day Videos: Austin Peay

Each weekday between now and the beginning of the basketball regular season we will preview a men's and women's team from each of the 11 OVC member institutions with video interviews with head coaches.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Players - Part 5 (Do You Have Any Superstitions?)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the student-athletes in attendance to ask them some questions. Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Do You Have Any Superstitions?"

OVC Insider - Episode 7

Episode No. 7 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week the episode looks at a former Murray State kicker turned actor as well as a preview of the OVC Cross Country Championship among other things.

Former Murray State Kicker Turns Actor

This week the OVC Insider looks at a feature story on former Murray State football student-athlete Paul Hickert. Hicker was a kicker for the Racers football team and is now an actor.

FORMER RACER FOOTBALL PLAYER HICKERT ENJOYS SURGING ACTING CAREER
By Dave Winder

Former Murray State football student-athlete Paul Hickert, well known for kicking the longest field goal in program history, will be appearing this fall on the small screen and the big screen.

Hickert will appear on the ABC daytime drama “One Life To Live” (Oct. 17) and in the motion picture “Tower Heist” (Nov. 4) starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy.

As a player, Hickert was part of the Racers’ 1986 Ohio Valley Conference championship team under Coach Frank Beamer. In his senior season in 1987, Hickert was named All-Ohio Valley Conference. He still holds the Murray State record for the longest field goal, a 62-yard boot as the first half expired in 1986 at Roy Stewart Stadium against Eastern Kentucky.

“When I came to MSU, I wasn’t an accurate kicker, but I had a good leg,” Hickert said during a phone interview from his home in New York City. “Coach Beamer always gave me scenarios to stress the positive. He always made me feel I had control over the situation. That’s the way it is in acting, you have to believe you have control.”

Hickert was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1988 National Football League draft. His stay was short as he was cut before the first practice.

“In the NFL, I felt like I had no control, but maybe that was because of the contract process,” Hickert said. “That experience damaged my confidence for a while, because I never got the chance to show what I could do.”

The very fact that Hickert is pursuing an acting career is a bit surprising, given the fact that when he played football for the Racers, he was an honor student with a degree in physics. He has worked in private business as an engineer and consultant. He also has a patented invention, one that prohibits oxidation of wine in a bottle. Hickert also did some print modeling and that led to him pursuing an acting career.

His starting point was the time he spent at Murray State.

“Murray was magical for me and the place changed my life,” he said. “Coach Beamer, assistant coaches, teammates, the town and university, it all was great for me. Murray was great training ground for me. It’s such a great place to develop and I don’t think I could’ve accomplished what I have in my career from any other place.”

In the comedy “Tower Heist”, Hickert plays an FBI agent in his big screen debut. The story is about a group of good men who get swindled by a wealthy businessman, so they decide to rob the man’s penthouse home.

“Tower Heist is a fun film, it has a huge cast of characters like Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda and Tea Leoni . I have a small role, I play a part in a group of FBI agents. I only have five lines, but we spent about a week doing the scenes. This film has a large budget and when that kind of money is going into a project, it’s going to get attention.”

“I’ve been training as an actor for about six years now and the more I get into it, the more I enjoy it,” Hickert said. “The competition is tough, it’s amazing how much talent there is going for jobs. I want to be involved with films that motivate people or make them have a strong emotional connection and films that entertain.”

For this former Racer, his experiences playing football for Murray State are never far from his thoughts.

“Acting is a lot like football…what you put into it is what you get out of it on game day,” Hickert said. “There have been so many great kickers come through MSU after me. Since I left I think all of my records have been broken except two and that’s what’s great about the records I set, those were goals for the next guy to obtain.”

Going into Saturday's homecoming game, current kicker Kienan Cullen is tied with Hickert for the MSU career made field goals record of 49.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Players - Part 4 (All-Time Favorite Player)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the student-athletes in attendance to ask them some questions. Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Who is your all-time favorite football player?"

OVC Insider - Episode 6

Episode No. 5 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

Among the topics this week is a look at some of the "pink" initiatives during the month of October to raise awareness about breast cancer.

OVC Schools Thinking Pink During October

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is an annual campaign by major breast cancer organizations to increase awareness of the disease. This includes educating the public about early detection, the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and support for survivors.

Every year, this year being no different, teams from around the country are doing things to raise awareness and funds. Below are just a few of the events OVC schools are holding during the month of October. Included below are links to the school's website for more information.

Eastern Illinois
Eastern Illinois has four of its fall sports teams doing things during the month to gain awareness. The football team wore pink apparel at its Oct. 8 game while the rugby, women's soccer and volleyball teams are hosting "pink game" where the team will wear pink shirts and they are encouraging fans to wear pink to those games.

Eastern Kentucky
During the mont of October the EKU volleyball team is using pink balls, wearing pink socks and shoe laces.

Murray State
On Friday, Oct. 21 (National Mammogram Day) the school and Murray Calloway County Hospital will host a lunch, which will include door prizes, giveaways and an inspirational time with Mary Beth Hall, author of Lessons from a Bald Chick.

Western Baptist Hosptial will also help with awareness through PINK GLOVE DANCE. Recently 225 Western Baptist employees donned pink gloves and danced in the national PINK GLOVE DANCE competition.

Southeast Missouri
For many years the Southeast Missouri Athletic Department and Saint Francis Medical Center are proud to team up once again for the annual Dig for Life Campaign during the month of October. Members of the Southeast volleyball team secured pledges per dig that were tallied through October home matches at Houck Fieldhouse. The money raised is then allocated to Saint Francis Medi­cal Center for the campaign's purpose of educating women in the Southeast Missouri area about breast cancer awareness, providing early detection opportunities and improving prevention efforts.

The school will also do “Pink Up” games to kick of the month long campaign with women's soccer program.

SIUE
SIUE's volleyball and women's soccer programs will host events during the month. The soccer team will hand out free pink t-shirts at a game on Oct. 14 and donate $1 of every ticket sold to the event to the Saint Louis chapter of Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

The same thing will occur at an Oct. 21 volleyball match.

Tennessee State
The TSU volleyball team will host a "Think Pink" night on Oct. 29 against Tennessee Tech while the Tigers football team is wearing pink wrist bands, gloves and towels for the entire month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech is hosting a “Think Pink” event this Friday at its soccer match, and the volleyball team will host a “Dig Pink” the following weekend.

OVC Insider - Episode 5

Episode No. 5 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week a look at the Sgt. York Trophy among other things.

APSU Football Player Also an Apache Helicopter Pilot and Father

This week we take a look at a feature produced by one of the schools in the OVC. Austin Peay's Isaac VanMeter is a member of the APSU football team at the age of 32, becoming a full-time student after serving in the military.



Apache helicopter pilot, father and football Gov, VanMeter truly an exception
By: Brad Kirtley



For every rule, an exception exists.

Isaac VanMeter embodies it. It is more than just the Henderson, Ky., native playing college football for the first time at Austin Peay at age 32, an age most male involvement in such a physical sport is reserved to the Fantasy variety.

VanMeter also is an exception in being a fulltime college student for the first time at a point in many men's lives they already are taking out a second mortgage on their house.

Not only is VanMeter a first-time fulltime college student who is playing football for the first time, he is as well the exception in being a single father raising three young daughters.

VanMeter will have a large cheering section, Saturday night, when the Governors play host to Tennessee State. Not only will his daughters be in attendance, but members of the 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment will be there as well cheering him during APSU's annual Military Appreciation Night.

APSU fullback/specials team performer Isaac VanMeter, who sports Govs uniform No. 52, also wears the uniform of the U.S. Army. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Isaac VanMeter is a member of that 101st Aviation Regiment. He is an Apache Helicopter pilot who has made four combat tours, two in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. He has flown countless missions. He has been engaged and taken fire in combat numerous times.

Now he is at Austin Peay as part of the Active Warrant Officer Service Degree Completion Program, a program that allows active duty officers to complete a baccalaureate degree within a 12-to-18-month span. Since enlisting in the Army in 1997, he has taken several classes along the way and combined with 75 flight-school hours, he will graduate in the spring.

In other words, he is at Austin Peay for one year, with the Governors football team for just one season. What would drive a man who regularly flies what enemy ground forces believe is the most terrifying machine to attempt a sport he has not played competitively since he was a teenager?

"I just love the game-I love football," VanMeter said. "It's a passion. We follow it a lot at work. We play the fantasy leagues for pro football. We follow the college game-when we are on deployment we stay up because it is on in the middle of the night. Everyone wants that next day off so they can stay up and watch the games.

"I have never lost the passion for it."

In fact, the football passion has been a part of the VanMeter family. He and his father Allan, a Western Kentucky graduate, were Hilltopper season-ticket holders and their trips together to Bowling Green always will be some of the fondest family memories for the younger VanMeter.

"Three years ago I told my dad, while we were at one of the games, I am trying to get into this degree completion program," he said. "I told him wherever I go I am going to try and walk on to the football program.

"He said that would be 'humorous," considering I already was in my late 20s."

He started formulating a plan but a year later it became more than that-it became a promise to himself to fulfill that dream he shared with his father, who died in 2009 from colon cancer. As the calendar turned to 2011 the degree completion program came to fruition.

At only 5-foot-8 inches tall and in the 185-pound range, VanMeter knew at his age, his position options would be limited. An option quarterback/safety during his prep days, he looked at possible positions he could play. He knew he wasn't fast or quick enough to play wide receiver or defensive back and certainly not big enough to play along the lines. Fullback/running back was a possible option.

Now it was up to him to get into "football shape." He went to the internet, looking for different schools' offseason workout programs, like the one at William and Mary. He spent the summer working relentlessly in the Olive Physical Fitness Center room at Ft. Campbell. He then would drive to the Austin Peay campus and sprint up the hills behind the outfield fence at Raymond C. Hand Park and then utilize use his own ladder and cones for speed and quickness drills.

He also spoke to APSU assistant coach Marcus Gildersleeve, who was in charge of APSU's walk-on program, about joining the Governors.

"I sent him an email because I did not want to fill out that recruit thing that would indicate to them what my age was, at least until they got to see me," VanMeter said.

The first steps were gaining admittance to school along with receiving NCAA Clearance.

"The NCAA people were funny," VanMeter said. "They wanted to know 'why did you take your ACTs in 1996 and now are playing (college football). Did you play minor league baseball? Where have you been?' I told them I had been in the Army, flying helicopters.

"I asked the guy if flying helicopters would make me ineligible? He laughed and said, 'I don't know. I have never been asked that before.'"

Next came a face-to-face meeting with Gildersleeve.

"Coach Gildersleeve was great," VanMeter said. "He asked me some questions and when it came to my birth date I just kind of blew through it, Jan. 16, 1979. He said the 16th of January and left it at that."

Turns out that Gildersleeve's father, Monroe, was a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (now retired), just like VanMeter and that APSU's wide receiver coach, who is 35, grew up with some of the same people that VanMeter served with, like Maj. Clint Cody, son of Vice Chief of Staff Richard Cody, the former Commanding General, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell.

"We started talking and laughing about things...and I realized the age thing was blown," VanMeter said. "But I kept being allowed to do things, got my physical, and we got through the whole process. We were issued equipment and we got to go out there and run into people. It was good."

And his three daughters, Scarlett, age 13; Isabella, age 10, and Virginia, age 4, were almost as excited as their father when he finally was allowed to step onto the football field.

"You know how kids are--my daughters think I can do anything," he said. "They are all girlie girls, but they love watching football with me. Scarlett knows, for instance, that it is holding (penalty) because of where the flag is thrown. Isabella isn't quite into it as her older sister but Virginia will sit there and watch the NFL Combine with me."

Although VanMeter is just thrilled to be on the football field, he has no unrealistic expectations.

"There are different approaches to things," he said. "I wanted to play football because I love the game. If I came out here and said I have one year (to play) so I need to get on the field, that would not be the reasonable way to approach it. The reasonable way is you (APSU coaching staff) are allowing me to play football and I love you for that.

"Coach (Rick) Christophel is trying to build something here-there is a lot of young talent and he could have looked at me one of two ways; one, that this guy can set the example, he is the old man and is not out there complaining, so you (the other players) can't complain.

"Or he could have looked at this, at me, as being a joke for wanting to join this program...I couldn't have asked for anything better. The coaches all have been great. The players have been really good to me."

In fact, it was one of the younger players, sophomore wide receiver Tee Howell, who may have helped VanMeter get to the football field faster.

"Tee is my guy-he has been great to me," VanMeter said. "When we were coming out of our geology class (earlier this semester) and he asked what position I was playing. I told him I was deep on the halfback chart. He told me with my size I should play fullback. I came over here that afternoon and Coach Gildersleeve (Howell's position coach) told me I would have a better chance to playing if you were on the fullback depth chart. That made sense to me."

In a sense, VanMeter is hoping to reciprocate for what was done for him early in his military career, serving in a mentoring role to young people who are searching for their own identities.

When he entered the Army, VanMeter again was an exception-he immediately became a Private First Class because he had been a member of the Jr. ROTC while at Henderson County High School. In less than four years, at age 21, he entered in Warrant Officer Candidate School in Ft. Rucker, Ala. Again, he was the exception.

"I was the baby there, I was 21," he said, "and everybody else was 26 and 27 and senior NCOs (non-commissioned officers), fast-tracking guys. There were a lot of leadership classes, lot of physical training...there were so many guys who knew what was going on who helped me so much. They allowed me to follow them around and I got pinned...as a WO1 (Warrant Officer 1).

"Then I went through flight school, they helped me develop better study habits. I got through all of that. I was then lucky to be able to pick which helicopter I wanted to fly, the Apache."

When VanMeter talks about flying the Apache the enthusiasm runs deep about the U.S. military's most intricate flying tank of nearly 18,000 pounds that serves in so many different capacities, ranging from combat to deep-strike capabilities to reconnaissance.

"This job is just like the English language, for every rule there is an exception," VanMeter said. "We usually fly between 120 (138 mph) to 140 knots (161 mph). But it is all relative. We can fly low so if you are going around 100 miles per hour your tail wheels are almost skimming the trees, you feel like you are really moving. If you are flying 600 miles per hour in a plane but you are at 30,000 feet, you feel like you are standing still. It is all relative.

"It is a fun job, it is a great job. I wouldn't change a thing."

But that passion for flying and the Apache doesn't run even close to that for his family.

They are the reason he wants to earn his undergraduate degree.

"I want to get my degree and set an example to my daughters that education is important," VanMeter said. "I don't want them to say dad didn't go to school...I want them to realize how important school is and how important education is."

He has an assortment of cousins, aunts and uncles who live in the area and have helped him manage his household, especially when he has been deployed. They certainly will be there Saturday supporting his latest mission, with the Austin Peay football program.

Yes, much of his family will be there Saturday, with one exception. If he gets to step onto the football field Saturday night, don't be surprised for a brief second VanMeter smiles, looks upward to his father, and says..."We did it."

Get To Know Your OVC Football Coaches - Part 2 (Do You Have Any Superstitions?)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the football coaches to ask them some questions. Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Do You Have Any Superstitions?"

OVC Insider - Episode 4

Episode No. 4 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week an in-depth look at the OVC SAAC, who recently had an in-person meeting in Brentwood.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Coaches - Part 1 (What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the football coaches to ask them some questions. Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?"

Episode 3 of this year's OVC Insider

Unfortunately we had technical issues last week and there was no new episode of OVC Insider. That just means more anticipation for this week!

Episode No. 3 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

UT Martin's Matt Hewett Returns to Gridiron Five Years Later

This week the University of Tennessee at Martin sports information department put out a great story about a former high school standout who overcame injuries to finally play in his first college game at UT Martin ... during his fifth year in college.

Former high school standout returns to UT Martin gridiron five years later
By: Joe Lofaro

Former Dresden High School head football coach Craig Rogers admitted to a prep reporter at The Jackson Sun newspaper he did not understand why his star running back, Matt Hewett, was treated like Rodney Dangerfield by college coaches before the start of his senior campaign in 2006.

Hewett rushed for 1,385 yards and 18 touchdowns on 161 carries as a junior, and he missed one game with mononucleosis midway through the season, played with a bruise hip and a fractured toe. In the weight room, he was able to bench press 335 pounds, squat more than 500 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds and had a vertical leap of more than 34 inches.

“In my opinion, he’s the best I’ve ever coached. He doesn’t have the height, but he’s compact. He trains hard and doesn’t let stuff get to him,” Rogers said. “Matt’s going to end up somewhere for college. Somebody’s going to get a steal.”

After a season-ending knee injury during his senior season in 2006 at Dresden High School, Hewett returned to the gridiron as a Skyhawk for The University of Tennessee at Martin. Head coach Jason Simpson got the steal.

Hewett, now a fifth-year senior at UT Martin, put on shoulder pads, a helmet and a uniform and wore No. 22 as the Skyhawks hosted Union College Thursday night at Hardy M. Graham Stadium on campus. The pride of Dresden played special teams and running back in the 2011 home opener for the Skyhawks.

To the general public, Hewett showed no signs of a bad knee or being out of shape. On the stat sheet the 5-9, 195-pounder rushed seven times for 48 yards and one touchdown as the Skyhawks blanked Union College 63-0. Hewett also had three total tackles on special teams. In fact, Hewett was the first player down the field on kickoffs.

“I never thought I would play again after high school,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt couldn’t stay away from the football field. He played intramurals and this summer he served as a student coach. “He was doing breakfast checks, and making sure our players were going to class,” Simpson said. “During practice he was working out the injured players.”

Despite the high school injury and being away from football, Hewett continued to work out in the weight room. His work ethic was evident. He looked like he was a football player with six-pack abs and “guns” for biceps.

“The coaches kept saying ‘come out and we will put you on special teams,’” Hewett said. “I never took them serious.”

That was until this past Monday when Hewett told the coaches he would play. He was able to practice one time before Thursday night’s game.

“I was feeling pretty good at practice, but I was pretty sore after that,” Hewett said.

By the time kickoff rolled around on Thursday, Hewett said he was pretty nervous. “I haven’t hit or been hit in a long time.”

It didn’t take long for Hewett to notice the difference between the high school game and college. “They hit a lot harder than in high school or so I remember. In high school they just gave me the ball and I ran. We have plays and assignments. We have to read the defense,” Hewett said.

The Dresden native said he just wanted to be on the field, it did not matter what position he played. “To play offense and score a touchdown put the icing on the cake.”

With Hewett’s success on the field against Union College, Simpson will have to find a way to get his newest player some more playing time.

“He brings energy to our team,” Simpson said.

The Skyhawks return to action Thursday, Sept. 22, when they host Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State.

“The chance to play against an OVC opponent would be awesome,” Hewett said.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Players - Part 3 (Favorite Memory Playing in the OVC)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the student-athletes in attendance to ask them some questions. Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "What is your favorite memory of playing in the OVC?"

Putting the Student in Student-Athlete

Although most of the time athletics takes center stage, there would not be college athletics with student-athletes.

Annually U.S. News & World Report puts out a list of the Best Colleges in the United States, breaking them down in several categories.

Most OVC schools fall in the Regional Universities Rankings. According to U.S. News & World Report "Regional Universities offer a full range of undergrad programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs." The rankings are split into 4 regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.

Including Belmont (who will join the OVC next season) here is where the OVC schools ranked (10 schools fell into the South category and 2 are in the Midwest ranking).

Regional Universities (South)
7. Belmont
25. Murray State
39. Tennessee Tech
49. UT Martin
51. Morehead State
63. Eastern Kentucky
68. Austin Peay
72. Southeast Missouri
85. Jacksonville State

Regional University (Midwest)
51. Eastern Illinois
51. SIUE

Historically Black College and Universities
18. Tennessee State

There are many other rankings that U.S. New & World Report breaks down. For a complete list click here: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Players - Part 2 (Do You Have Any Hidden Talents/Hobbies?)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the student-athletes in attendance to ask them some questions.

Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Do You Have Any Hidden Talents/Hobbies?"

Episode 2 of this year's OVC Insider

We hoped you watch last week's episode, the debut of season two of OVC Insider.

This week we bring you episode No. 2 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Interviews Commissioner DeBauche

The College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) recently did an interview with OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche talking about the upcoming football season.

Get To Know Your OVC Football Players - Part 1 (Who is the Most Intimidating Player on Your Team?)

At the 2011 OVC Football Media Day in July, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the student-athletes in attendance to ask them a variety of questions.

Each week during the football season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Who is the Most Intimidating Player on Your Team?"

New season of the OVC Insider!

The 1st episode of season 2 of the OVC Insider, a weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference. Hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

Football Gameplan Breaks Down 2011 OVC Football Season

Football Gameplan has been breaking down every Division I football conference and today came out with a video preview of the OVC. Check out the 11-minute video below that looks at some of the top players in the league and then a prediction of how the league will shake out this season.

Here are the predictions made by Football Gameplan. What do you think?

1. Murray State
2. UT Martin
3. Jacksonville State
4. Tennessee Tech

5. Eastern Kentucky
6. Eastern Illinois
7. Southeast Missouri
8. Tennessee State
9. Austin Peay

OVC Women’s Soccer Preseason Starts

Women’s soccer preseason has begun in the OVC and teams are playing in their exhibition matches to work out the final kinks before the regular season starts on August 19^th. With strong performances from many freshman players in the league the Ohio Valley Conference teams have a lot to look forward to with their upcoming seasons approaching. Here is a look at what has happened around the league last week in women’s soccer.

Austin Peay: The Governors started off strong with a 5-0 win over Freed Hardeman Friday night. Senior Jocelyn Murdoch tallied two goals in the first exhibition match for the team. With this unlimited substitution match head coach Kelley Guth was able to rest some players and spread minutes amongst the team.

To top off the weekend the Lady Govs had a strong second half against Saint Louis to propel them to a 3-2 win over the Billikens. Sophomore Tatiana Ariza scored a hat trick in the game scoring all three goal in the second half. Austin Peay is now looking to their season opener against Alabama A&M this Friday.

Eastern Illinois: The Panthers fell in their 2-1 in their exhibition match against the Indiana State Sycamores. Freshman Brooke Sill finished the Panthers lone goal off of a corner kick early in the match but it was not enough to hold off the Sycamores.

The Panthers had another tough loss in Saturday’s exhibition against Evansville. The Evansville Purple Aces scored an early goal in the opening minute to hold off the Panthers. The Panthers will look to open their season against Northern Iowa, Friday on the road.

Eastern Kentucky: In Eastern Kentucky’s lone exhibition match of the season the Colonels tied IPFW 1-1. Freshman Devon Saini finished her collegiate goal in their Friday night game against the Mastadons. Saini’s goal was a powerful shot from 20 yards out to beat IPFW goalkeeper Kristen McFadden. The Colonels’ season opener will be at home against a tough Louisville Cardinal team this Friday.

Jacksonville State: The Jacksonville State Gamecocks played an away match against Kennesaw State in preparation for their upcoming season. The game resulted in a 1-1 tie with Gamecocks’ junior Nathalee Lariviere scoring in the 23^rd minute. Jacksonville State will begin its 16^th season against Mercer on Friday.

Morehead State: The Eagles, who are favored to take first in the OVC this year, had a game at Indiana State for their lone exhibition match on Friday. Freshman Elizabeth Tresnak started her career as an Eagle strong with a goal to finish the game at a 1-1 tie. Tresnak scored her first goal 10 minutes into the second half to give Morehead the lead but unfortunately the Sycamores were able to respond 15 minutes later with a goal by senior Jessica Rosenberg. The regular season opener for Morehead will be against Valparaiso University this Friday.

Murray State: The Racers started off their preseason with their annual Blue/Gold scrimmage last week. This was a good opportunity for the players to get their first look at competitive action in the season. Freshman Julie Mooney scored the first goal in the scrimmage for the blue squad but the game was soon equalized by Veronika Pribyslavaka.

In their first exhibition match against UT-Chattanooga the Racers fell in a 2-1 loss. Murray State went down early in the first half and was unable to come back from the deficit. Murray State will play their final exhibition match today, Monday Aug. 15, against Bethel. This will be their last opportunity to prepare for their season opener against Ball State.

Southeast Missouri: The Redhawks, another favorite this year in the OVC, had a tough exhibition match against Iowa State. The Redhawks fell to the Cyclones 5-0. Southeat Missouri will look to have a stronger start in their season opener against Illinois State Friday in Normal, Illinois.

SIU Edwardsville: The SIU Edwardsville Cougars also found Iowa State to be a hard opponent to beat in their exhibition match 6-1 loss. Freshman forward Michelle Auer scored the lone goal for the Cougars in the 34^th minute. SIUE looks forward to their season opener this Friday night against Youngstown State in Kansas City, Mo.

Tennessee Tech: The Golden Eagles lone exhibition match against Alabama A&M was cancelled early last week but that did not stop the team from having a strong preparation in their preseason. Head coach Daniel Brizard has seen a strong sense of determination in his team as they set to begin his second season as head coach at Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles will look to test this determination in their season opener against UT Chattanooga on Friday followed by another test on Sunday against Belmont.

UT Martin: The Skyhawks played a close game against SEC opponent Ole Miss on Saturday night. A penalty kick in the 65^th minute pushed the Ole Miss Rebels to a 1-0 victory over UT Martin. Freshman goalkeeper Mariah Klenke had an impressive debut for the Skyhawks that resulted in 5 saves during the match. This was a great opportunity for the Skyhawks to spread the minutes among many players, giving 18 players playing time. TheSkyhawks will begin their regular season with a home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff this Friday.

Former TSU Great Richard Dent's Hall of Fame Induction Speech

Former Tennessee State great Richard Dent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 6. Here is what he said in his acceptance speech.

Around the Ohio Valley - May 19

Austin Peay: For the first time since 2007, the Austin Peay baseball team has claimed the OVC Baseball regular season championship. The Governors locked up the championship last Sunday with a victory over Southeast Missouri. The title is even more satisfying for the program when you consider they did not make the OVC Championship field (six teams) each of the past two years. Ticket information for the 2011 OVC Baseball Championship (which is May 25-29 at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn.) can be found HERE.

Eastern Kentucky: Although the EKU men's golf team came up short of winning the OVC Team Championship, the Colonels Johan Eriksson shared medalist honors and received an automatic individual berth to the NCAA Regionals. Eriksson was assigned to the Central Regional in Zionsville, Ind. which begins on Thursday. EKUColonels.com takes a look at Eriksson chances at the event.

Eastern Illinois: The EIU men's track and field team was ranked 11th in the final Midwest Region poll of the regular season released by the USTFCCCA. Overall the Panthers were 57th nationally. The rankings are projections based on how athletes would fare at the NCAA Championships. Individually Zye Boey was 13th in the 100 meters and 17th in the 200 meters while Mick Viken is ranked seventh in the pole vault. This past week the EIU athletic department announced its student-athletes had a combined 3.08 G.P.A. for the spring semester, as 57 percent of its student-athletes had a G.P.A. of 3.00 or higher. In addition 15 of the Panthers 19 intercollegiate teams had combined G.P.A.'s of 3.00 or higher and 54 student-athletes had perfect 4.0's.

Jacksonville State: The Jacksonville State softball team will play in its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament this weekend. After winning the OVC Championship last weekend in Charleston, Ill., the Gamecocks were picked to play in the Louisville Regional and open play on Friday (May 20) against No. 7 California. Daniel Paulling of the Birmingham News takes a look at the JSU softball team and how they overcame a poor finish to the regular season to win the OVC Championship. The softball team is the first Gamecock program to make four consecutive postseason trips since the school became a Division I program.

Morehead State: If you search the internet you can find a new and different NBA Mock Draft every day. Every outlet has an opinion of where they think forward/center Kenneth Faried will go in this year's Draft (which will be held June 23). This mock draft from SB Nation has Faried going to the Golden State Warriors at No. 11, while this one at CSNPhilly.com thinks the 76ers should pick Faried at No. 16. If you take to Google you can find numerous other ones predicting Faried to go to a variety of teams in the first round. If Faried is picked in the first round (which he should be), he will be the first OVC player taken in the first round since Carlos Rogers was 11th overall in the 1994 NBA Draft.

Murray State: Although Murray State is currently going through the search for its next head coach, as Billy Kennedy announced on Monday he was taking over at Texas A&M, the school did announce that it will be playing in this year's 2011 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage. The Racers will be paired with UC Irvine in the first round (Nov. 23) and play either host Alaska-Anchorage or Southern Miss in the second round on Nov. 25. The rest of the field includes Central Michigan, Dartmouth, New Mexico State and San Francisco. This will be the 34th annual Great Alaska Shootout.

Southeast Missouri: The Redhawks softball team made a great run through the OVC Championship last weekend in Charleston, Ill., making the Finals and playing eventual champion Jacksonville State to two title games. After trailing in the first championship game, freshman catcher Shelby Kuryllo hit a three-run walk-off home run to give the 5th-seeded Redhawks the 3-2 victory. The next day the team came up just short in falling to JSU by a 9-5 margin. Southeast Missouri finished the year 31-30 overall.

SIU Edwardsville: Earlier this week the NCAA announced the winners of its NCAA Public Recognition awards for high Academic Progress Rates (APR). SIUE led all OVC schools with five individual sports programs that were recognized, including men's cross country, women's tennis, women's golf, women's soccer and softball. As SIUE continues it reclassification to being a full Division I member, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Vahe Gregorian took a closer look at the school and how the process has been going. Finally, SIUE baseball coach Gary Collins is just two wins away from 1,000 for his career. Steve Porter of the Alton Telegraph wrote a story about Collins' career and reaching the milestone (which could potentially come this weekend against Eastern Kentucky).

Tennessee State: The Tennessee State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recently received a 2011 Service Learning Award at the Community Partners Luncheon put on by the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement. The award was one of just six given out at the luncheon, which honors groups across the city of Nashville.

Tennessee Tech: Following the basketball season head coach Mike Sutton stepped down and long-time assistant coach Steve Payne assumed the head coaching duties for the Golden Eagles. The website National Hoops Report recently interviewed Payne to talk about the transition of taking over as head coach. In the sport of football Tennessee Tech recently announced is 2011 football schedule, which features a game at Football Bowl Subdivision foe Iowa.

UT Martin: One of the surprise men's basketball teams last year was UT Martin, as head coach Jason James took a young team and helped them develop over the season to earn the No. 8 seed in the OVC Championship Tournament and pull off an upset of No. 5 seed Tennessee State in the first round. Recently James announced the addition of five signees to his 2012 recruiting class. The group included three junior college transfers and two freshmen.

Belmont: Although not a member of the OVC until 2012-13, last Friday the OVC announced the Bruins will become the 12th member of the Conference. The Nashville school will play one final year in the Atlantic Sun before joining the OVC. This story has a link to all the news stories that were generated from last Friday's announcement.

Nashville's Fox17 Does Feature on Southeast Missouri Pitcher Jordan Underwood

Paul Jones from Fox17 in Nashville recently did a story on the inspirational story of Southeast Missouri State pitcher Jordan Underwood. Underwood's story has been documented here before, but he lost an eye in junior college after being struck by a line drive.

CLICK HERE to watch the story that Paul did a great job of telling.

Around the Ohio Valley- May 11

Austin Peay: Head Coach Dave Loos must be pretty happy that his 6-foot-4 TyShwan Edmondson will be returning to the Govs in the fall. Edmondson sent a letter to the NBA, and copied APSU, informing the league of his decision to withdraw his name from the upcoming draft. In the Leaf Chronicle Dave Loos stated that it might help Edmondson to return for a final year and maybe even position himself better for next year's draft... We will have to wait for the fish. The 17th Annual Governors Bass Tour has been delayed as a result of high waters due to recent rain fall. I am not sure if they throw the fish back or what, but I do know that the grand prize is worth $12,000 in merchandise! Check out the article on the Bass Tour, and maybe sign up.

Eastern Illinois: A interesting article from the Journal Gazett & Times-Courier details how Ben Thoma is one of the few in college baseball that has seen his numbers go up despite recent NCAA changes to metal bats. The statistics across the nation point to a decline in batting averages and home runs after the NCAA switched to bats that are made to resemble wooden bats. Thoma doesn't mind, his numbers are staying the same and even increasing in some areas. "When we recruited him, we knew he had a great swing. He is a wooden bat hitter," stated coach Jim Schmitz. Read the full article to understand the details involved and how Thoma continues to show off his great hitting mechanics.

Eastern Kentucky: Alex Raich and Stephanie Lynch will both be giving away the knowledge and experience gained during their time as student-athletes for EKU's soccer program when they go abroad this summer. Raich will travel to Guatemala to be involved in the program Soccer Without Borders, a non-profit organization that uses soccer as a tool to provide youth in underdeveloped parts of the world with role models. Lynch will take part in a 21-year-old ministry on the campus of North Eastern University in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Both student-athletes shared their excitement and thoughts about the upcoming adventures in the article at EKUSports.com.

Jacksonville State: In light of the recent stories we have mentioned about the JSU athletic director position, I thought maybe I would continue to keep you informed. The JSU website details the times and dates they will be holding meet and greet events for the five final candidates for the position. The position obviously means a lot to the school and they have some great candidates as President Dr. William A. Meehan stated, "We are extremely pleased with the quality and experience of our five finalists for the athletics director position." The meet and greet opportunities will correlate with the candidates on site interview process.

Morehead State: MSU baseball and softball didn't exactly have the seasons they were hoping for, but all is not lost. There are some bright spots to point out, and more so there are some things that inspire optimism for the future. Junior catcher Taylor Davis has been named to the Johny Bench Award Watch List, one of only 49 catchers in the nation, and softball earned the best batting average and most hits in the conference this season. Davis leads the OVC in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total bases. Rebecca Butler leaves the softball program with a total of eight school records, but returning will be Sam Woodall, who set the single season record for most at bats and scored fourth all-time in single season hits. Things are looking up next season for both programs with players like these returning.

Murray State: "Hey, stick around for awhile," that's what Murray State has told the leaders of their basketball programs. Both the men's and women's coaches have seen their contracts extended... Other campus news sees the many student-athletes receive honors at the Annual SAAC Banquet. Associate AD Matt Kelly honored 18 student-athletes who received a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester, and 6 of those achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout their collegiate career. That is truly amazing if you ask me. Visit goracers.com to see the stories on the contract extensions of Billy Kennedy and Rob Cross, and of the Annual SAAC Banquet.

Southeast Missouri: SEMO has plenty to excited about with an impressive transfer coming in, and lots to be proud of as a student-athlete is named to the Academic All-District First Team. SEMO announced the addition of Jessica Crabtree to the women's soccer program. Crabtree will be a transfer from the University of Missouri, where she appeared in 60 games. Crabtree is quite the product as she is still fourth all-time in Illinois High School history with 142 goals scored. Michael Adamson is the player that was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America All-District Team. Adamson has started in every game for SEMO this season and leads the team with 49 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and 1.000 fielding percentage. He also carries a 3.78 GPA as an education major. Catch both stories at gosoutheast.com.

SIU Edwardsville: A fascinating story coming out of Edwardsville is the tale of Collen McDonough. McDonough is a redshirt sophomore from Orland Hills and leads all Cougar throwers in the hammer throw and shot put. The part of her story that is the most inspiring is the battle her and her father went through during the start of her collegiate career. As McDonough was contemplating which university to attend a few years back, her father, Brian, was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. During her father's battle with cancer, life was very difficult for Collen, who was now some 4 hours away from home. She communicated with the track and field coaches that at any time she may have to pack up and go home, and they were very supportive of her situation. The end result was an eventual bone marrow transplant for her father, who seems to be doing much better. The lessons that Collen learned during these hard times has no doubt shaped her for the better, and the story unfolds in more depth at siuecougars.com.

Tennessee State: Kim Haynes has been selected to participate in the 2011 NCAA Career in Sports Forum. Haynes was one of 303 student-athletes who were selected to participate in the 10 sport-specific coaching and administration tracks. "I think it will be a good opportunity for me to network and prepare myself for life after TSU," said Haynes... Elsewhere on TSU campus the SAAC received the 2011 Service Learning Award at the Community Partners Luncheon. The award is given to a student organization for implementing an outstanding community service program into their organization for at least two years. Read about these two accomplishments at tsutigers.com.

Tennessee Tech: TTUsports.com put it as, "the battle is over, the race is won, and the degree is in their hands." This refers to the 50 TTU student-athletes who graduated on Saturday. The size of the graduating class is growing every year in Cookeville, so the ceremony was held 9:30am for most and completed at 2pm for others. This is surely a good problem to have for administrators as nothing is more pleasing than to see student-athletes excel in the classroom as well as in the athletic realm. The website details a full list of graduates, but a few from the football team are pictured to the left. Job well done boys.

UT Martin: UTM continues the list of schools who are proud of their student-athletes academic achievements. Cody Terry, a senior shortstop, has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team. To be eligible for the award a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic standing and at least a 3.30 GPA. Terry carries a 3.86 cumulative GPA, was named OVC Scholar Athlete, is a three-time member of the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and was also an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American. So, it is fair to say that UT Martin are very proud of his achievements.