CONFERENCE AFFILIATIONS

In 1941, foresighted men had visions of an Ohio Valley Conference. Sportswriters speculated about the impending division of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Virtually all agreed it was just a matter of time until the division took place and a new athletic conference was formed.

Then the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and America was plunged into World War 11.

Seven years late r, after the hostilities had ceased, a pre-war dream became a post-war reality. The "Big Five" of the K.I.A.C. withdrew to form the Ohio Valley Conference.

Making the move were Western Kentucky State College, Eastern Kentucky State College, Murray State College, Morehead State College and the University of Louisville They were joined by Evansville College and, shortly thereafter, by Tennessee Tech and Marshall College.

Purpose of the O.V.C., as set forth in its constitution, is "to regulate, control and promote all the recognized branches of intercollegiate athletics in institutions represented."

Through a gradual process, the Ohio Valley Conference was to become a league of Kentucky and Tennessee state colleges. Middle Tennessee State College joined the rolls in 1952, East Tennessee State University in 1957 and Austin Peay State College in the spring of 1962. They replaced Louisville, which became an· independent in 1949, and Marshall and Evansville, which departed in 1952. Akron was added to the conference last year, replacing East Tennessee who joined the Southern Conference.

University of Akron's Zips became the eighth member of the Ohio Valley Conference on July I, 1978

Eastern's women' s teams are members of the 19-school Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference KWIC is the official athletic conference for all recognized women's collegiate programs in Kentucky.

K WIC conducts state tournaments for college-women in basketball, field hockey , gymnas tics, tennis, track a nd field and volleyball and is the recognized affiliate of the national o rganization, the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIA W).

Eastern also competes against other OVC schools in a regular season schedule in basketball and a post-season tournament in tennis.

Eastern ranks first in the conference's alltime standings with a 115- 76-7 won-lost record. The Colonels have won five regular season title s o utright ( in '54, '67, '68, '74, and '76) and shared one t itle in 1962. Eastern a lso won the NCAA Mideast Regional c hampionship in 1967.

Annually, the OVC presents an All-Sports Trophy for over-all excellence in the entire athletic program .

For additional info r mation, fea t ures or pictures contact:

KARL PARK OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

EA S TERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

RICHMO N D , KENTUCKY 40475

Telephone (606) 622- 230 I

James Delany, a 31-year-old former NCAA investigator, is serving his first year as commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. He succeeded Bob Vanatta on July I as the OVC's fourth commissioner after being among five applicants considered for the post.

The Succasunna , New Jersey native becomes the youngest commissioner to serve the conference The other OVC commissioners prior to Vanatta were Arthur Guepe and Paul Dietzel.

Dela ny is a 1970 graduate of the University of North Carolina where he played basketball for coach Dean Smith's Tarheels from 1967-70 and served as co-captain on the 1969- 70 squad.

Following graduation Delany entered the UNC Law School and served as an assistant coach under Smith He received his law degree in 1973 before joining the NCAA staff.