Beth DeBauche

Elizabeth (Beth) DeBauche served as commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference from July 2009 through October 2025, becoming the seventh full-time commissioner in the history of the OVC. As commissioner, she oversaw executive operations, governance oversight, and administrative functions for the 11-member NCAA Division I athletic conference, reporting directly to the OVC Board of Presidents.

DeBauche, a Green Bay, Wisconsin native, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and government from Saint Mary’s College in Indiana, her master’s degree in communication arts from Notre Dame, and her juris doctor from the Notre Dame School of Law. After practicing law briefly, DeBauche turned her attention to intercollegiate athletics, serving in progressive leadership roles at Vanderbilt University, the Southeastern Conference, and the NCAA national office before joining the OVC.

During her tenure as OVC commissioner, DeBauche led significant transformation of the conference, negotiating the three largest national media contracts in league history, including moving the league’s streaming efforts to ESPN+. She successfully led membership expansion, recruiting five new institutions into the conference, and championed comprehensive sportsmanship reforms and constitutional reorganization. Under her leadership, OVC teams achieved eight NCAA basketball tournament victories over 10 years.

From June 2022 through 2024, DeBauche served as one of nine voting members on the NCAA Board of Governors, the highest governance body for the NCAA. During this time, she served as Chair of the Board of Governors Finance and Audit Committee and chair of the Investment Subcommittee, leading fiduciary oversight of the annual NCAA budget and strategy for the NCAA investment portfolio.

She served as President of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA), leading the organization representing all Division I conference commissioners through the pandemic. Her additional leadership roles included Chair of the CCA22, Chair of the FCS Commissioners group, and service on multiple Division I governance committees.

DeBauche served as Co-Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2014 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Nashville and assisted in securing the successful bid for the Division I Football Championship (FCS) in Nashville.

She is chair-elect of the Nashville Sports Council Board of Directors, serves on the Advisory Board of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and is a member of the International Women’s Forum of Tennessee. She has been recognized as Administrator of the Year by Women Leaders in Sports and as a Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal.

Email: beth@sp-athletics.com