When the calendar turns to Friday, the Sun Belt Conference logos emblazoned on each end of the hardwood inside the University of Arkansas-Little Rock's Jack Stephens Center aren't going to vanish.
That won't happen for a few more weeks, when UALR sands down its floor for the first time since the building's opening in 2005.
Once the Trojans formally depart the Sun Belt on Friday, though, those letters will be but a reminder of the past 31 years with UALR formally joining the Ohio Valley Conference.
Athletic Director George Lee has participated in Ohio Valley meetings since January, and while the move hasn't fully hit him yet, Lee told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he already recognizes a synergy between the 10 institutions -- a group that includes UALR, seven incumbent members and two current Division II schools, Lindenwood and Southern Indiana.
"We have similar types of issues with each other from dollars, from [the] number of employees, for the most part, similarity in sports," Lee said. "They understand they're not part of the College Football Playoff where they're generating large sums of money from the football program. So because of that, they have to operate in different ways.
"Once you start moving into the FBS conferences -- where we've been with the Sun Belt -- the dollar amounts and the numbers of people you're talking about are a lot more varied. And it is extremely hard to compete with somebody that is spending tens of millions of dollars a year more than you."
The seven returning programs in the Ohio Valley are Eastern Illinois, Morehead (Ky.) State, Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and Tennessee-Martin.
A primary talking point for Lee upon the Trojans' initial announcement in December was the geography of the Ohio Valley Conference. Some of that was in terms of developing rivalries and enabling fans to travel to road games -- five schools are within six hours' driving time from Little Rock and two more are just beyond that.
But the geography will also limit expenses for UALR. Based on an analysis of Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act surveys from 2016-2020, the Trojans, on average, spent more on men's basketball, women's basketball and baseball than any of the other nine schools in next year's Ohio Valley.
In men's basketball alone, UALR's average expenses were $2.11 million. The next closest was Tennessee Tech at $1.33 million, or nearly 40% less.
A portion of that difference will be sliced with nearly every road trip in league play being by bus.
More can be shaved off because the Trojans will no longer be competing against schools with significantly larger budgets that result from football revenue, although Lee said he still expects to be among the top three Ohio Valley programs in revenue -- something that should allow UALR to immediately compete for conference titles.
It will also allow the school to direct those funds elsewhere.
While the rebranding with Ohio Valley logos -- including the court, uniforms and signage, estimated at a cost of $50,000 -- was negotiated as part of UALR's agreement in joining the league, the school also announced the installation of two new high-definition video boards in the Jack Stephens Center. Lee declined to disclose a specific amount, but a UALR spokesman confirmed the 15-by-60-foot displays would come with a six-figure price tag.
That's not to mention $300,000 worth of renovations to the men's and women's basketball locker rooms, which are being paid for with private donations.
"The thing we have to realize is that this is a beautiful building, but it's 17 years old," Lee said of the Jack Stephens Center. "We have to really make sure that we're looking at the different parts of it and updating the things that we can."
Ohio Valley Commissioner Beth DeBauche took a similar outlook on her league as it begins its 75th year. Since its founding in 1948, the OVC has had 21 full members but has never added nor lost more than two at any one time.
With Austin Peay, Belmont and Murray State departing, the Ohio Valley hopes to capitalize on "a new energy."
"Because of the perspective [the new members] bring from being in another conference, you have some veteran leaders that are going to be able to really articulate their views as to what they want from intercollegiate athletics," DeBauche told the Democrat-Gazette. "It allows you to look at things freshly, so their excitement permeates the culture of the league."
The Sun Belt has prioritized football in recent years -- evidenced by its addition of four new members in Marshall, Old Dominion, Southern Mississippi and James Madison. UALR, however, hasn't fielded a team since 1955, and a 2019 study concluded it wouldn't be feasible to revive the program anytime soon.
It's led to a series of decisions that have excluded the Trojans, and Lee aid he's glad he doesn't have to be a part of them going forward.
At the same time, there's sadness in leaving the Sun Belt, a league that UALR helped establish after a dramatic restructuring in 1991.
"Moving into a new league after being in one league for 31 years, we're probably going to be surprised by some things," Lee said. "You never know exactly what you're getting into until you get into it. ... But I think it is really just a brand new opportunity to expose our brand, to expose the city of Little Rock and Central Arkansas to a group of different universities."
Even with UALR and Arkansas State no longer sharing a league, the in-state foes will meet annually in basketball for the next four seasons.
The Trojans and Red Wolves will play men’s and women’s basketball games each season in nonconference play, beginning next season. The men will meet in Jonesboro in 2022-23 with the women playing in Little Rock on dates to be determined later.
UALR is leaving the Sun Belt Conference for the Ohio Valley Conference, while ASU will remain in the Sun Belt.
“One of my first priorities after announcing our new conference affiliation was to ensure we kept playing Arkansas State, and I am glad we can do that,” UALR Athletic Director George Lee said in a statement. “I’d like to thank Arkansas State for helping to make sure this happens.”
The deal aligns for the Trojans so that their men and women will play at least one in-state rival at home each season. UALR’s men’s basketball matchup with the University of Central Arkansas is scheduled for Dec. 20 at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, while the Trojans women will play UCA in Conway Dec. 3.
The ASU women will host UALR in 2023-24 and 2025-26 and make their second of two visits to Little Rock in 2024-25.
ASU’s men will return to Little Rock in 2023-24 after last year’s home-and-home series in Sun Belt play was canceled due to covid-19.
— Mitchell Gladstone
Ohio Valley Conference
Beginning Friday, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock will become a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, joining schools from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. The Trojans are one of three new schools in the conference along with Lindenwood University and Southern Indiana:
SCHOOL CITY MEMBER SINCE
Arkansas-Little Rock Little Rock 2022 (joins Friday)
Eastern Illinois Charleston, Ill. 1996
Lindenwood St. Charles, Mo. 2022 (joins Friday)
Morehead State Morehead, Ky. 1948
Southeast Missouri St. Cape Girardeau, Mo. 1991
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Edwardsville, Ill. 2008
Southern Indiana Evansville, Ind. 2022 (joins Friday)
Tennessee State Nashville, Tenn. 1986
Tennessee Tech Cookeville, Tenn. 1949
Tennessee-Martin Martin, Tenn. 1992
This fall, the Jack Stephens Center at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock will have a new court (top left) with the Ohio Valley Conference logo. The building will also include two new videoboards (bottom left). UALR will renovate its men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms (right)at the Jack Stephens Center, which cost $300,000 and will be paid for with private donations. (Artist rendering courtesy UALR Athletics)