Murray State University features 15 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Racers. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Ohio Valley Conference. Football competes in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA. The University's current athletic director is Allen Ward. Murray State is one of the original members of the Ohio Valley Conference, along with current OVC members Eastern Kentucky University and Morehead State University. These three schools, along with the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, and the University of Evansville joined together to form the Ohio Valley Conference in 1948. Originally, Murray State athletic teams were known as the Thoroughbreds. Over time, sports writers and editors found the name Thoroughbreds to be too cumbersome for headlines, so they often shortened it to names such as "T-Breds", "Breds", "Race Horses", and "Racers". "Racers" began to grow in popularity through the late 1950s, and it was adopted as the official nickname in 1961. The baseball team alone continued to be known as the Thoroughbreds or "Breds" until 2014.
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