Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

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Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Data
Classification	NCAA Division I FCS
Established	1970
Members	11
Sports fielded	15 (7 men’s, 8 women’s)
Region	East Coast
States	7 - Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
Headquarters	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Commissioner	Dennis E. Thomas
Locations

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference which consists of historically black colleges in the southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; in football, its teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS; known until the 2006-07 academic year as Division I-AA). The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will expand its membership to 12 members next year, as the league voted to admit Winston-Salem State University into the league beginning in 2007–08. It is expected that founding member North Carolina Central University will rejoin the league in the 2008–09 season.

1 History
2 Conference tenure
3 Member institutions
- 3.1 Teams
4 Conference facilities
5 Championships
- 5.1 football
6 External links

[edit] History

In 1969 a group from a number of historical black colleges long associated with intercollegiate athletics met in Durham, North Carolina, at North Carolina College (NCC), now North Carolina Central University (NCCU), for two days. They were invited by Dr. Leroy T. Walker, to discuss the feasibility of organizing a new conference based along the Atlantic coastline. Seven of this institutions agreed to become the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They were Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University.

The MEAC headquarters remained in Durham, North Carolina, until 1981, moving to Greensboro on March 26, 1982. It remained in Greensboro until the MEAC relocated to its current location in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in August of 2005.

The league was confirmed in 1970, kicking off its first season of competition in football in 1971. In 1978, the MEAC selected its first full-time commissioner, Kenneth A. Free and the following year, expanded to nine schools with the admission of two Florida schools: Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University. The MEAC operated with nine schools until 1985 when Coppin State University was admitted. The next expansion occurred in the 1990s with the inclusion of Hampton University in 1995 and Norfolk State University in 1997.

On June 8, 1980, the MEAC was classified Division I by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the following month, received an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.

MEAC was the home of the University of Central Florida when it was in Division I-AA in college football from 1990 until its ascendance to Division I-A in 1996.

[edit] Conference tenure

Bethune-Cookman University .......1979—
Coppin State University................1985—
Delaware State University.............1970—
Florida A&M University.................1979–1984, 1986— (departed 2004 season)^†
Hampton University.......................1995—
Howard University.........................1970—
University of Maryland Eastern Shore 1970–79, 1981—
Morgan State University.................1970–79, 1984—
Norfolk State University..................1997—
North Carolina A&T State University.........1970—
North Carolina Central University.....1970–79 (planning to rejoin 2008)^‡
South Carolina State University......1970—
Winston-Salem State University......2007—

† The NCAA approved Florida A&M's application to move its football program to Division I-A, now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The historically black university was due to begin play at college football's highest level in 2004. No other historically black college is in Division I FBS.

‡ Trustees at North Carolina Central University voted in November of 2005 to approve moving the school's sports affiliation to the NCAA's Division I in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Florida A&M's move made the Rattlers ineligible for the 2003 Division I-AA playoffs and the 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football title.

The Florida A&M board of trustees voted to back President Fred Gainous recommendation to delay the football program's move to Division I FBS. The board of trustees asked athletic officials to see whether the Rattlers would instead be permitted to remain in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

[edit] Member institutions

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment
Bethune-Cookman University	Daytona Beach, Florida	1904	Private/Methodist	3,060
Coppin State University	Baltimore, Maryland	1900	Public	4,306
Delaware State University	Dover, Delaware	1891	Public	3,200
Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, Florida	1887	Public	12,792
Hampton University	Hampton, Virginia	1868	Private/Non-sectarian	5,117
Howard University	Washington, D.C.	1867	Private/Non-sectarian	10,642
University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Princess Anne, Maryland	1886	Public	3,297
Morgan State University	Baltimore, Maryland	1867	Public	6,621
Norfolk State University	Norfolk, Virginia	1935	Public	8,500
North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, North Carolina	1891	Public	11,103
South Carolina State University	Orangeburg, South Carolina	1896	Public	4,525

[edit] Teams

[edit] Conference facilities

School	Football stadium	Capacity	Basketball arena	Capacity
Bethune-Cookman	Municipal Stadium	10,000	Moore Gymnasium	3,000
Coppin State	Non-Football School	N/A	Coppin Center	1,720
Delaware State	Alumni Stadium	6,828	Memorial Hall	3,000
Florida A&M	Bragg Memorial Stadium	25,500	Jake Gaither Gymnasium	3,365
Hampton	Armstrong Stadium	17,000	Hampton Convocation Center	7,200
Howard	William H. Greene Stadium	10,000	Burr Gymnasium	2,700
UMES	Non-Football School	N/A	Hytche Athletic Center	5,500
Morgan State	Hughes Stadium	10,000	Hill Field House	4,250
Norfolk State	Dick Price Stadium	30,000	Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall	7,000
North Carolina A&T	Aggie Stadium	22,000	Corbett Sports Center	5,700
South Carolina State	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium	22,000	SHM Memorial Center	3,200

[edit] Championships

[edit] football

1971 Morgan State
1972 North Carolina Central
1973 North Carolina Central
1974 South Carolina State
1975 South Carolina State
1976 South Carolina State
1977 South Carolina State
1978 South Carolina State
1979 Morgan State
1980 South Carolina State
1981 South Carolina State
1982 South Carolina State
1983 South Carolina State
1984 Bethune-Cookman
1985 Delaware State
1986 North Carolina A&T
1987 Howard
1988 Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State and Florida A&M
1989 Delaware State
1990 Florida A&M
1991 North Carolina A&T
1992 North Carolina A&T
1993 Howard
1994 South Carolina State
1995 Florida A&M
1996 Florida A&M
1997 Hampton
1998 Florida A&M and Hampton
1999 North Carolina A&T
2000 Florida A&M
2001 Florida A&M
2002 Bethune-Cookman
2003 North Carolina A&T
2004 Hampton and South Carolina State
2005 Hampton
2006 Hampton

[edit] External links

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Bethune–Cookman • Coppin State • Delaware State • Florida A&M • Hampton • Howard • Maryland – Eastern Shore • Morgan State • Norfolk State • North Carolina A&T • South Carolina State