Tennessee State Tigers Poised to Claim First OVC Regular-Season Title in 30 Years

The Tennessee State Tigers have an opportunity to make history on Saturday afternoon as they take the court against UT Martin in the final game of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) regular season. With a victory, the Tigers (20-9, 14-5 OVC) can clinch the No. 1 seed in next week's OVC Tournament, marking the program's first time entering the postseason as the top seed since 1995. At worst, TSU will finish tied for second in the standings and no lower than the No. 3 seed.

The Tigers have been on a surge, defeating Southeast Missouri 79-71 on Thursday night, while UT Martin (21-9, 13-6) is coming off a win over Tennessee Tech. This season's TSU squad has already cemented its place in program history by setting a new single-season record for conference victories, with their 14 OVC wins surpassing the previous mark of 13 held by the 1992-93 squad. Only two other Division I teams in TSU history — the 1993-94 (12-4) and 2024-25 (12-8) teams — have reached at least a dozen league wins.

Beyond the conference slate, the 20-win milestone has placed the 2025-26 team among the top Division I seasons in school history. The Tigers are now tied for the third-most victories in the program's Division I era, alongside the 2015-16 (20-11) and 2011-12 (20-13) teams.

Tennessee State's program is no stranger to national prominence, with its NAIA dominance including three national championships and three consecutive 30-win seasons from 1956-59, as well as a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II national championship in 1972-73 with a 32-8 campaign.

"Saturday's game will also extend a milestone moment for the Tigers: for the first time in more than 30 years, Tennessee State enters February tied for first in the OVC standings. The program last held a February league lead in 1994-95, finishing as co-regular-season champions. TSU's only outright OVC regular-season title came in 1992-93 — when it also captured the tournament crown and advanced to the NCAA Tournament."

While the current team may not yet rival those elite win totals, it stands among the best Division I iterations in school history — and with the postseason approaching, still has room to climb higher.