Tennessee State has a chance to make history Saturday afternoon when it closes the Ohio Valley Conference regular season on the road at UT Martin.
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 head into the matchup on a surge after defeating Southeast Missouri 79-71 on Thursday night. UT Martin (21-9, 13-6), meanwhile, comes off a win over Tennessee Tech.
Record-Breaking Season
This season’s Tigers have already cemented their place in program history by setting a new single-season record for conference victories. Their 14 OVC wins surpass 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 — reached at least a dozen league wins.
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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. The only team to reach 20 wins faster at the Division I level was the 1978-79 squad (20-6).
Historical Context
TSU’s program is no stranger to national prominence. During its NAIA dominance, Tennessee State captured three national championships and posted three consecutive 30-win seasons from 1956-59, including a 32-1 record in 1958-59. The Tigers also finished as NCAA Division II national runner-up 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.
