The remaining weeks of the summer are likely to run by pretty fast for college football teams preparing for the 2023 season. Two former members of the Ohio Valley Conference settled league legal disputes this summer.
Eastern Kentucky University and Jacksonville State both made their marks in the Ohio Valley Conference with championships. Both have moved on. EKU is playing in the FCS United Athletic Conference and Jacksonville is entering Conference USA in FBS. The OVC sued both, seeking exit penalties and both Eastern and JSU fought the one million dollar assessments in court. Now, both have settled with the Ohio Valley Conference for $750,000 apiece. OVC Attorney Bruce Barze Junior says the Alabama State Supreme Court in May sent the case back to the circuit court level, reversing a lawsuit dismissal. EKU opens play Sept. 2ND in Cincinnati and JSU plays at South Carolina State on August 26th.
In both cases, OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche made similar statements.
Following JSU's settlement this week, Commissioner DeBauche observed the OVC, quote, “is glad to have this matter behind us in order to appropriately focus our attention on the issues that matter most to us, which are providing tremendous opportunities to our student-athletes and strategically working to move the Conference forward.”
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