CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Austin Peay State University’s growing relationships with donors appear to be paying off, this time to the tune of up to $1 million to leave the OVC.
APSU Athletics Director Gerald Harrison announced Friday the Govs will leave the Ohio Valley Conference and join ASUN beginning July 1, 2022.
This follows on the heels of both Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State joining ASUN on July 1. In August, the Ohio Valley Conference sued both schools, contending they have not paid $1 million each in exit fees.
At a news conference on Monday to cover follow-up questions from the announcement, APSU President Michael Licari acknowledged that APSU may have to pay an exit fee, but indicated the Govs’ departure may go a bit more smoothly.
“We’ve had a good run with the OVC, so we want to make sure that we leave on good terms, and there’s no sense in burning bridges. We’ll cross the bridge effectively and gracefully when it comes time.”
When asked by Clarksville Now whether APSU will have to pay the full $1 million and where that money will come from, Licari said, “Any exit fee that we would pay would come from privately raised funds. The fees will be paid as we leave next summer.”
Founding class of ASUN football
ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart opened his remarks with three words: “Let’s Go Peay!”
He said the appeal of APSU had to do with the university’s profile, and how it matched ASUN’s goals.
“We are looking for forward-thinking, visionary builders. If status quo appeals to you, then you’re not a good fit. And that’s OK – there’s a lot of places, and I’ve been in some of them, that status quo is acceptable. That’s what they want. Well that’s not what we want. We want to continue growing.”
That growth involves a big commitment to football, and APSU will have a critical role in ASUN’s plans.
“The ASUN is in the middle of an aggressive expansion program, and this is a part that’s very important, and it closes our founding football members. It takes six to be a football conference,” Gumbart said. “Next year we’ll have six full football programs; they’re forever going to be the founding class for ASUN football.”
Chasing recruits and alumni
Joining ASUN is in part about joining Southeast region markets that are growing in population and are ripe for recruiting new students – markets like Nashville, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Huntsville, Orlando and Louisville, Licari said. It’s important for APSU to be part of that footprint, not just for athletics but for overall university recruiting and branding.
“They say athletics is the front porch of many universities,” Harrison said. “Well, our front porch just got a heck of a lot bigger.”
For athletic recruiting specifically, moving to ASUN will make things easier for Govs athletic recruiters from all teams, who are already recruiting heavily from that area, Licari said.
“It will put them directly in the geographic area where their recruitment is strongest, and those bonds have already started to be developed,” he said.
Also, more than 45,000 alums are in the footprint of the ASUN, so this means conference games will bring the Govs into or near where alums are living, and they can bring their support, Licari said.
Harrison said he hopes the Govs can maintain their primary rivalries with certain other OVC teams, such as Murray State.
As for the coveted OVC football Sgt. York Trophy, “Our goal is to win it this year and then not give it back,” Harrison joked. “They have to get another one.”