The ASUN conference is growing into a force to be reckoned with, and it’s coming mostly at the expense of the Ohio Valley Conference.
On Thursday, Matt Brown of Extra Points reported that Austin Peay is set to leave the OVC for the ASUN, which the school confirmed on Friday morning after a board of trustees meeting.
kAmkDA2?m“k^DA2?mkDA2?mpFDE:?k^DA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mkDA2?m!62Jk^DA2?mkDA2?m 3C:?8D 2 EC25:E:@? @7 DF446DD 2?5 2 C64@8?:K65 3C2?5 E92E DA62<D E@ @G6C2== :?DE:EFE:@?2= 249:6G6>6?E[Q p$&} 4@>>:DD:@?6C %65 vF>32CE D2:5 :? 2 C6=62D6] Q%96 6?E:C6 r=2C<DG:==6 2C62 :D 8C@H:?8 2?5 p!$& :D 46?EC2= E@ E92E 5J?2>:4] %96 v@G6C?@CD 42CCJ 2? :?DE:EFE:@?2= C6AFE2E:@? @7 24256>:4 2?5 2E9=6E:4 DF446DD E92E H6 2C6 6IEC6>6=J AC@F5 E@ 255 E@ E96 p$&}]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mQ]]]k^DA2?mkDA2?m%96 p$&} H:== AC@G:56 2 EC6>6?5@FD 9@>6 7@C k^DA2?mkDA2?mpFDE:?k^DA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mkDA2?m!62Jk^DA2?mkDA2?m[ 2?5 @FC 6?E:C6 >6>36CD9:A H:== 36?67:E 7C@> 92G:?8 p!$& 2D 2? p$&} >6>36C] %9:D :D 2 A6C764E 6I2>A=6 @7 2 H:?\H:? A2CE?6CD9:A]Qk^DA2?mk^Am
kAm%96 >@G6 >2<6D p!$& E96 E9:C5 ~'r AC@8C2> E@ ;F>A D9:A 7@C E96 p$&}[ ;@:?:?8 y24<D@?G:==6 $E2E6 2?5 t2DE6C? z6?EF4<J &?:G6CD:EJ[ H9:49 @77:4:2==J ;@:?65 E96 4@?76C6?46 @? yF=J `] k^Am
kAmrFCC6?E=J[ 7:G6 p$&} D49@@=D — q6==2C>:?6[ u=@C:52 vF=7 r@2DE[ y24<D@?G:==6[ {:AD4@>3 2?5 }@CE9 u=@C:52 — 5@?’E 92G6 2 7@@E32== AC@8C2>] x? 255:?8 tz&[ y24<D@?G:==6 $E2E6 2?5 r6?EC2= pC<2?D2D[ E96 p$&} H:== C6249 :ED DE2E65 AC:@C:EJ @7 7:6=5:?8 2 D:I\E62> 7@@E32== 4@?76C6?46 H:E9 pFDE:? !62J D6CG:?8 2D E96 D:IE9 >6>36C]k^Am
kAm%96 p$&} 4FCC6?E=J A2CE?6CD H:E9 E96 (6DE6C? pE9=6E:4 r@?76C6?46 7@C 7@@E32==[ H:E9 E96 H:??6C @7 E96 5:G:D:@? 62C?:?8 2? 2FE@>2E:4 3:5 E@ E96 ur$ A=2J@77D] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQI0|D@}@C>2=QmkDA2?m“%9:D :D 2? :?4C65:3=6 52J 7@C @FC &?:G6CD:EJ[ @FC 2E9=6E6D 2?5 4@2496D[ 2?5 2== 4:E:K6?D @7 $E2496G:==6[” p!$& 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C v6C2=5 w2CC:D@? D2:5] “x 4@F=5 ?@E 36 >@C6 6I4:E65 E@ 96=A =625 kDA2?mpFDE:?k^DA2?m kDA2?m!62Jk^DA2?m :?E@ 2 ?6H 6C2 @7 8C@HE9[ H9:49 H:== 96=A 6IA2?5 2?5 6?92?46 @FC 3C2?5[ @FC 7@@EAC:?E 2?5 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 @FC AC@5F4E 3@E9 2E9=6E:42==J 2?5 24256>:42==J] pD 492==6?8:?8 2D E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ :D — 2?5 >2<6 ?@ >:DE2<6[ H6 2C6 724:?8 2 DE6A FA :? 4@>A6E:E:@? =6G6= — :E’D 6G6? >@C6 6I4:E:?8 E@ 6>32C< @? E9:D ;@FC?6J E@ 6=6G2E6 E96 AC@7:=6 @7 E9:D 56A2CE>6?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQI0|D@}@C>2=Qm“uC@> E96 368:??:?8[ x’G6 D2:5 kDA2?mpFDE:?k^DA2?m kDA2?m!62Jk^DA2?m :D 2 D=66A:?8 8:2?E[ 2 ;F886C?2FE 9:5:?8 :? A=2:? D:89E H:E9 E96 C:89E A6@A=6 :? A=246 E@ 364@>6 8C62E] %@52J :D E96 ?6IE DE6A 5@H? E96 A2E9 E@ 8C62E?6DD[ 2?5 H6 2C6 4=@D6C E92? 6G6C E@ 249:6G:?8 E96 DE2EFD H6 4@G6E—E@ 36 E96 >@DE 4@>A=6E6 2E9=6E:4D 56A2CE>6?E :? @FC =628F6] p?5 ?@H[ E92E =628F6 H:== 36 E96 p$&}]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 pFDE:? !62J =62G:?8[ E96 ~'r 4@F=5 36 @? D92<J 8C@F?5] q6=>@?E 2?5 |FCC2J $E2E6 92G6 =@?8 366? 4@G6E65 3J E96 |:DD@FC: '2==6J r@?76C6?46[ 2?5 H:E9 E96 v@GD 3@=E:?8 E@ E96 p$&}[ :E >:89E ?@E 36 =@?8 367@C6 E96 qCF:?D 2?5 #246CD 2C6 @FE E96 5@@C] k^Am
kAm$9@F=5 E96 ~'r =@D6 |FCC2J $E2E6[ :E H@F=5 36 =67E H:E9 @?=J 7:G6 7@@E32== AC@8C2>Di t2DE6C? x==:?@:D[ $@FE962DE |:DD@FC:[ %6??6DD66 $E2E6[ %6??6DD66 %649 2?5 &%\|2CE:?]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 C646:G65 ?@E:7:42E:@? 7C@> pFDE:? !62J E92E E96J H:== 36 =62G:?8 E96 ~'r 67764E:G6 yF?6 b_[ a_aa[Q ~'r 4@>>:DD:@?6C q6E9 s6q2F496 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] Q]]](6 2C6 4=62C=J :? 2 E:>6 @7 492?86 7@C :?E6C4@==68:2E6 2E9=6E:4D[ 2?5 E96 ~9:@ '2==6J r@?76C6?46 6>3C246D E9:D >@>6?E[ 4@>>:EE65 E@ E96 :?DE:EFE:@?D 2?5 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D H9@> H6 D6CG6 2?5 4@?7:56?E :? @FC 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmQ%92E 7FEFC6 :D C@@E65 :? >6>36CD9:A 8C@HE9[ 2?5 H6 2C6 4FCC6?E=J :? 5:D4FDD:@?D H:E9 @E96C :?DE:EFE:@?D E92E D92C6 @FC A9:=@D@A9J 2?5 H2?E E@ AC@DA6C :? E@52J’D :?E6C4@==68:2E6 2E9=6E:4 6?G:C@?>6?E 3J 36:?8 A2CE @7 E96 ~'r]]](6 =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 255:?8 D49@@=D H9@[ =:<6 E96 >6>36CD @7 E96 ~'r[ 2C6 4@>>:EE65 E@ @FC AC:?4:A=6D 2?5 @FC 8@2=D] (6 :?G:E6 @E96C 4@==686D H9@ 2C6 D66<:?8 E9:D EJA6 @7 4@?76C6?46 6IA6C:6?46[ 7@C E96 36EE6C>6?E @7 E96:C :?DE:EFE:@?D[ E@ 4@?E24E FD] %96 ~'r H6=4@>6D E9@D6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D]”k^Am
kAmr92EE2?@@82[ t2DE %6??6DD66 $E2E6 2?5 (6DE6C? x==:?@:D 2C6 CF>@C65 42?5:52E6D 7@C A@E6?E:2= ~'r 6IA2?D:@?]k^Am
kAmxE’D F?4=62C H96C6 %$& DE2?5D :? E96 E9:4< @7 E9:?8D] p 42D6 4@F=5 36 >256 7@C E96 %:86CD DE2J:?8 AFE 2?5 C62A:?8 E96 36?67:ED @7 2 H62<6?65 4@?76C6?46[ AC@G:565 E96 ~'r 255D 2 D:IE9 7@@E32== AC@8C2>[ 2?5 >2J36 6IA=@C:?8 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 255:?8 2 76H >@C6 wqr& 82>6D E@ :ED D4965F=6]k^Am
kAmk6>mu@==@H |:4926= v2==2896C @? %H:EE6C k^6>mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^|vDA@CED0Qmk6>mo|vDA@CED0k^6>mk^2mk^DEC@?8mk^Am

