Redhawks Win Third OVC Commissioner’s Cup in Five Years

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – For the third time in five years, Southeast Missouri is the Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Cup Champion.
 
The OVC Commissioner’s Cup is a symbol of overall athletic excellence in Conference-sponsored championships and is awarded annually to one member institution.
 
SEMO, which also took the honor in 2020-21 and 2022-23, hoists the trophy for the third time behind an outstanding 2024-25 season that included seven OVC titles.
 
The Redhawks scored a total of 107 points and edged Little Rock (104.5) by 2.5 points in this year’s standings. Lindenwood (93), Eastern Illinois (92.5), Tennessee Tech (90), SIU Edwardsville (79.5), Southern Indiana (78), Tennessee State (64), UT Martin (64), Morehead State (58.5) and Western Illinois (56.5) rounded out the scoring.
 

SEMO garnered first-place finishes in football, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s indoor and outdoor track & field, men’s outdoor track & field and women’s tennis. 
 
It marked the third time since joining the OVC where SEMO won seven or more conference championships. The Redhawks also won seven titles in 1996-97 and claimed a school record eight OVC crowns in 2022-23. Since the 2019-20 campaign, SEMO has won a league-best 37 OVC championships with every one of its sports getting at least one in that stretch.
 
“Our vision for SEMO Athletics is to be the premier athletics department in the OVC and that vision has truly become a reality,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brady Barke. “The level of sustained success so many of our programs have shown over the past few years is remarkable. Congratulations to our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters who have all contributed to our high level of success.”
 

The OVC Commissioner’s Cup was previously known as the All-Sports Trophy. In 2008-09, the league began awarding only one trophy. The points system was updated in 2022-23 and schools now count 13 total sports in the final standings. Among those 13, schools are required to count the point totals of three main sports (men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball) as well as the highest finishing men’s and women’s track & field sport (either cross country, indoor track & field or outdoor track & field). Schools that sponsor football are required to count it as one of its 13 sports.
 
Points are distributed based on the number of schools that sponsor the sport (e.g. if 11 schools sponsor a sport, the champion will earn 11 points, 10 points for second place, nine for third place, etc.). Tournament champions (men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and beach volleyball) receive one additional point).

SEMO, which became a member of the OVC in 1991-92, won a total of 81 regular-season championships and 28 tournament titles during its 33 years with the league.